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In statistics, a categorical variable (also called qualitative variable) is a variable that can take on one of a limited, and usually fixed, number of possible values, assigning each individual or other unit of observation to a particular group or nominal category on the basis of some qualitative property. [1]
- Categorical or nominal. A categorical variable (sometimes called a nominal variable) is one that has two or more categories, but there is no intrinsic ordering to the categories.
- Ordinal. An ordinal variable is similar to a categorical variable. The difference between the two is that there is a clear ordering of the categories. For example, suppose you have a variable, economic status, with three categories (low, medium and high).
- Interval (also called numerical) An interval variable is similar to an ordinal variable, except that the intervals between the values of the numerical variable are equally spaced.
- Why does it matter whether a variable is categorical, ordinal or interval? Statistical computations and analyses assume that the variables have a specific levels of measurement.
Apr 6, 2024 · A categorical variable, also known as a qualitative variable, is a type of variable that can take on one of a limited, and usually fixed, number of possible values, assigning each individual or instance to a particular group or nominal category on the basis of some qualitative property.
Mar 9, 2021 · A categorical variable is a discrete variable that captures qualitative outcomes by placing observations into fixed groups (or levels). The groups are mutually exclusive, which means that each individual fits into only one category. Types of categorical variables. Categorical variables can be used to represent different types of qualitative data.
In the realm of data science and statistics, a categorical variable is a type of variable that can take on one of a limited, and usually fixed, number of possible values. These values represent qualitative data that can be used to label different attributes or characteristics.
Mar 17, 2021 · Categorical variables are also known as discrete or qualitative variables. These are variables that are operationalized as categories. The value of the variable is expressed as a category count (also known as category frequency) for the sample, or as a cell count (or cell frequency) when the data are presented in a table.
a value that describes to which of several possible groups someone or something belongs, for example if they are married or not married: We calculated the group percentages for the categorical variables. Categorical variables can be presented using frequencies and percentages. Compare. background variable. contextual variable. continuous variable.
