Which scale is characterized by not all subdivisions being meaningful and often only whole units can be measured (for example, number of children)?

Which scale is characterized by not all subdivisions being meaningful and often only whole units can be measured (for example, number of children)?

• A. Discrete variable
• B. Continuous scale/variable
• C. Coding
• D. Frequency data

Answer: (A)

This item is about how some quantities come in whole, indivisible units. A discrete variable takes on separate, countable values and doesn’t support meaningful fractions. That’s why things like the number of children are described as discrete—you can have 0, 1, 2, 3 children, but not 2.5, since half a child isn’t meaningful. In contrast, a continuous scale can take any value within a range, and fractional values are meaningful (like height, weight, or time). Coding is about turning categories into codes, not about whether the variable is discrete or continuous. Frequency data refer to counts of occurrences, which are usually integers, but they describe how often something happens rather than the measurement scale itself.

This item is about how some quantities come in whole, indivisible units. A discrete variable takes on separate, countable values and doesn’t support meaningful fractions. That’s why things like the number of children are described as discrete—you can have 0, 1, 2, 3 children, but not 2.5, since half a child isn’t meaningful.

In contrast, a continuous scale can take any value within a range, and fractional values are meaningful (like height, weight, or time). Coding is about turning categories into codes, not about whether the variable is discrete or continuous. Frequency data refer to counts of occurrences, which are usually integers, but they describe how often something happens rather than the measurement scale itself.