Explain why Social Security Number is considered a qualitative variable even though it contains numbers. Choose the correct answer below O A. Social Security Number is a qualitative variable since there are an infinite number of possible values that are not countable O B. Addition and subtraction of Social Security Numbers does not provide meaningful results. This makes it qualitative even though it is numeric OC. Since Social Security Number is a variable at the interval level of measurement, it must be qualitative rather than quantitative OD Social Security Number is a qualitative variable since there are a finite or countable number of values. Explain why Social Security Number is considered a qualitative variable even though it contains numbers Choose the correct answer below. O A. Social Security Number is a qualitative variable since there are a finite or countable number of values O B. Since Social Security Number is a variable at the interval level of measurement, it must be qualitative rather than quantitative OC. Addition and subtraction of Social Security Numbers does not provide meaningful results. This makes it qualitative even though it is numeric OD. Social Security Number is a qualitative variable since there are an infinito number of possible values that are not countable,
The Correct Answer and Explanation is :
The correct answer is C: Addition and subtraction of Social Security Numbers does not provide meaningful results. This makes it qualitative even though it is numeric.
Explanation:
A qualitative variable (also known as a categorical variable) is one that describes qualities or characteristics and does not have a meaningful numerical value that can be used for arithmetic operations such as addition or subtraction. While a quantitative variable (such as age or income) involves numerical values where arithmetic operations like addition or subtraction make sense and provide useful information, a qualitative variable is used primarily for categorization.
Social Security Numbers (SSNs) are assigned to individuals for identification purposes by the U.S. government. While they consist of numeric digits (typically in the format XXX-XX-XXXX), they do not have intrinsic numeric meaning. Their purpose is to serve as a unique identifier for individuals, not as a numeric measurement.
Here’s why SSNs are considered qualitative despite being numeric:
- Lack of Arithmetic Meaning: Social Security Numbers are not intended for mathematical operations. Adding or subtracting SSNs doesn’t yield useful results because their digits don’t carry any quantifiable value. For example, subtracting one SSN from another has no real-world meaning—it’s just a sequence of numbers without any physical or measurable characteristics attached.
- Categorization: SSNs categorize individuals into specific groups (though in a way that is uniquely identifying). The digits in a Social Security Number help separate one individual from another but do not represent a measurable characteristic such as income, age, or weight, which are examples of quantitative data.
- Fixed Format: There is a finite and countable number of possible combinations (since each SSN follows a strict format), but this still does not make SSNs quantitative. Even though the set of possible SSNs is finite, they don’t involve measurements or quantities in the usual sense of numbers.
Thus, the key reason SSNs are qualitative is that they represent categories of people, and mathematical operations on them don’t have a meaningful or useful context. Therefore, while they are made up of numbers, they function as identifiers, not as quantitative data.