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Qualitative Variable – Types and Examples

September 19, 2022by Muhammad Hassan

Table of Contents

Qualitative Variable

Types Qualitative Variable

Nominal Variables

Ordinal Variables

Examples of Qualitative Variables

Applications of Qualitative Variable

When to use Qualitative Variable

Purpose of Qualitative Variable

Characteristics of Qualitative Variable

Advantages of Qualitative Variable

Limitations of Qualitative Variable

Qualitative Variable

Qualitative Variable

Definition:

Qualitative variable, also known as a categorical variable, is a type of variable in statistics that describes
an attribute or characteristic of a data point, rather than a numerical value.
Qualitative variables are typically represented by labels or categories, such as “male” or “female,” and
are often used in surveys and polls to gather information about a population’s characteristics.

Types Qualitative Variable

There are two main types of qualitative variables:

Nominal Variables

A nominal variable is a Qualitative Variable where the categories are not ordered in any particular way.
For example, gender (male or female), race (Asian, Black, Hispanic, etc.), or religion (Christian, Muslim,
Hindu, etc.). Nominal variables can be represented using numbers, but the numbers do not have any
quantitative meaning. For example, a researcher might assign the number “1” to male and “2” to
female, but these numbers do not represent a quantitative difference between the categories.

Ordinal Variables

An ordinal variable is a Qualitative Variable where the categories are ordered in some way. For example,
educational level (high school, college, graduate school), income level (low, medium, high), or level of
agreement (strongly agree, somewhat agree, neutral, somewhat disagree, strongly disagree). Ordinal
variables can be represented using numbers, and the numbers have a quantitative meaning, but the
distance between the categories is not necessarily equal. For example, the difference between “high
school” and “college” may not be the same as the difference between “college” and “graduate school.”

Examples of Qualitative Variables

Here are some examples of qualitative variables:

Gender: Male or female

Marital status: Married, single, divorced, widowed

Race: Asian, Black, Hispanic, White, etc.

Religious affiliation: Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, etc.

Political affiliation: Democrat, Republican, Independent, etc.

Educational level: High school, college, graduate school

Type of employment: Full-time, part-time, self-employed, unemployed

Type of housing: Apartment, house, condo, etc.

Method of transportation: Car, bus, train, bike, etc.

Language spoken: English, Spanish, French, etc.

Applications of Qualitative Variable

Qualitative variables are used in many applications in different fields, including:

Market research: Qualitative variables are often used in market research to understand consumer
behavior and preferences. For example, a company might use qualitative variables such as age, gender,
and income to segment their target market and create customized marketing campaigns.

Public opinion polling: Qualitative variables are used in public opinion polling to gather information
about people’s attitudes, beliefs, and opinions. Pollsters may ask questions about political affiliation,
religious affiliation, or social issues to understand public opinion on a particular topic.

Social sciences research: Qualitative variables are commonly used in social sciences research to study
human behavior, culture, and society. Researchers may use qualitative variables to categorize people
based on their demographic information or cultural background, and to analyze patterns and trends in
behavior or attitudes.

Healthcare research: Qualitative variables are used in healthcare research to identify risk factors and to
understand the impact of treatments on patients. Researchers may use qualitative variables such as age,
gender, or medical history to identify populations at risk for certain diseases, and to evaluate the
effectiveness of different treatment options.

Education research: Qualitative variables are used in education research to study the effectiveness of
different teaching methods and to identify factors that influence student learning. Researchers may use
qualitative variables such as socio-economic status, educational level, or learning style to analyze
patterns and trends in student performance.

When to use Qualitative Variable

Qualitative variables should be used in research when the variable being studied is categorical and does
not involve numerical values. Here are some situations where qualitative variables are appropriate:
When studying demographic characteristics: Qualitative variables are useful for studying demographic
characteristics such as age, gender, ethnicity, and religion. These variables can be used to segment a
population into groups and to compare differences between groups.

When studying attitudes and beliefs: Qualitative variables can be used to study people’s attitudes and
beliefs about various topics, such as politics, social issues, or religion. Researchers can use surveys or
interviews to gather data on these variables.

When studying cultural differences: Qualitative variables are often used in cross-cultural research to
study differences between cultures. Researchers may use qualitative variables such as language spoken,
nationality, or cultural background to identify groups for comparison.

When studying consumer behavior: Qualitative variables can be used in market research to study
consumer behavior and preferences. Researchers can use qualitative variables such as brand loyalty,
product preference, or buying habits to understand consumer behavior.

When studying patient outcomes: Qualitative variables can be used in healthcare research to study
patient outcomes, such as quality of life, satisfaction with treatment, or adherence to medication.
Researchers can use qualitative variables to identify factors that influence patient outcomes and to
develop interventions to improve patient care.

Purpose of Qualitative Variable

The purpose of a qualitative variable is to categorize data into distinct groups based on non-numerical
characteristics or attributes. The use of qualitative variables allows researchers to describe and analyze
non-quantifiable phenomena, such as attitudes, beliefs, behaviors, and demographic characteristics, and
to identify patterns and trends in the data. The main purposes of qualitative variables are:

To describe and categorize: Qualitative variables are used to describe and categorize data into
meaningful groups based on characteristics or attributes that are not numerical.

To compare and contrast: Qualitative variables allow researchers to compare and contrast different
groups or categories of data, such as different demographic groups or cultural backgrounds.

To identify patterns and trends: Qualitative variables allow researchers to identify patterns and trends in
data that may not be apparent with numerical data. For example, a researcher may use qualitative
variables to identify cultural differences in attitudes toward healthcare.

To develop hypotheses: Qualitative variables can be used to develop hypotheses or research questions
for further study. For example, a researcher may use qualitative variables to identify risk factors for a
particular disease, which can then be further studied using quantitative methods.
To inform decision-making: Qualitative variables can provide important information to inform decision-
making in fields such as healthcare, education, and business. For example, healthcare providers may use
qualitative variables to identify patient preferences and needs, which can inform treatment decisions.

Characteristics of Qualitative Variable

Here are some of the characteristics of qualitative variables:

Categorical: Qualitative variables are categorical in nature, meaning that they describe characteristics or
attributes that are not numerical. They can be nominal, ordinal or binary.

Non-numeric: Qualitative variables do not involve numerical values, but rather descriptive or categorical
data such as colors, shapes, types, or names.

Limited number of categories: Qualitative variables are often limited to a small number of categories,
such as male/female, married/single/divorced, or white/black/Asian.

Mutually exclusive categories: Categories in a qualitative variable must be mutually exclusive, meaning
that each observation can only belong to one category.

No numerical order: Unlike quantitative variables, qualitative variables do not have a numerical order or
ranking. Categories are assigned based on non-numerical criteria.

Can be used for comparison: Qualitative variables are often used for comparison purposes, such as
comparing the frequency of certain behaviors or attitudes across different demographic groups.

Can be used for classification: Qualitative variables can be used to classify data into distinct groups
based on common characteristics or attributes. For example, people can be classified into different racial
or ethnic groups based on their ancestry.

Can be used for hypothesis testing: Qualitative variables can be used to test hypotheses about
differences between groups or categories of data. For example, a researcher may hypothesize that men
and women have different attitudes toward a particular social issue, and use a qualitative variable to
test this hypothesis.

Advantages of Qualitative Variable

There are several advantages of using qualitative variables.

Rich data: Qualitative variables can provide rich data about complex phenomena such as attitudes,
behaviors, and cultural differences. This data can be useful for gaining a deep understanding of a
particular issue or topic.
Flexibility: Qualitative variables are flexible and can be used in a variety of research methods, such as
interviews, focus groups, and observations. This allows researchers to choose the method that best suits
their research question and participants.

Participant perspective: Qualitative variables allow researchers to capture the participant’s perspective
and experience. By using open-ended questions or prompts, researchers can gain insight into how
participants perceive and interpret a particular issue.

Depth of understanding: Qualitative variables allow for a depth of understanding that may not be
possible with quantitative variables alone. Qualitative data can provide details and context that
quantitative data may miss.

Contextualization: Qualitative variables can provide contextualization, allowing researchers to

understand the cultural, social, and historical factors that shape attitudes and behaviors.

Theory development: Qualitative variables can be useful for developing new theories or refining existing
ones. By gathering rich data and analyzing it using qualitative methods, researchers can identify patterns
and relationships that can inform the development of new theories.

Researcher reflexivity: Qualitative variables require the researcher to be reflexive and acknowledge their
own biases and assumptions. This can help to ensure that the research is ethical and inclusive, and that
the data collected is valid and reliable.

Limitations of Qualitative Variable

Some Limitations of Qualitative Variable are as follows:

Subjectivity: Qualitative data is often collected through open-ended questions or prompts, which can
lead to subjective responses that are difficult to quantify or compare. This can make it challenging to
establish inter-rater reliability and can limit the generalizability of the findings.

Limited sample size: Qualitative research often involves small sample sizes, which can limit the
generalizability of the findings. While qualitative research is typically focused on gaining a deep
understanding of a particular issue, the findings may not be representative of the broader population.

Time-consuming: Qualitative research can be time-consuming, particularly when collecting and

analyzing data. Researchers must spend significant amounts of time in the field, conducting interviews
or focus groups, and then transcribing and analyzing the data.

Limited control: Qualitative research often involves limited control over the research environment and
the participants. This can make it challenging to ensure that the data collected is valid and reliable.

Limited generalizability: Qualitative research is typically focused on gaining a deep understanding of a

particular issue, rather than testing hypotheses or making generalizations about the broader population.
As a result, the findings may be less generalizable than those obtained through quantitative research
methods.

Ethical concerns: Qualitative research often involves collecting sensitive or personal information from
participants. Researchers must take care to ensure that participants are fully informed about the
research, that their privacy is protected, and that they are not harmed in any way by their participation.

Bias: Qualitative research can be subject to bias, particularly if the researcher has a vested interest in the
outcome of the research. Researchers must take care to acknowledge their own biases and
assumptions, and to use multiple sources of data to ensure the validity and reliability of the findings.

Confounding VariableConfounding Variable – Definition, Method and Examples Quantitative

VariableQuantitative Variable – Definition, Types and Examples

About the author

Muhammad Hassan

Researcher, Academic Writer, Web developer

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