STAT 200: Variables, Cases, and Data Types Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards covering key statistical terms, variable classifications, and study roles based on the lecture transcript.

Raw Data

Data in its starting, unsummarized form where rows represent cases and columns represent variables.

Cases

The individual units of observation or subjects being measured and reported about in a dataset, represented across the rows of raw data.

Variables

Characteristics recorded about each case in a dataset that vary from one individual to another, represented in columns.

Features

A term used by data science and computer science professionals to describe variables as characteristics or attributes of cases.

Categorical Variable

A variable that divides cases into distinct categories or groups, with values often consisting of words, symbols, or category-defining numbers like ZIP codes.

Nominal Categorical Variable

A categorical variable whose categories serve as unordered labels or names.

Ordinal Categorical Variable

A categorical variable whose categories possess a natural, logical ordering.

Quantitative Variable

A variable that measures a numerical quantity or count for each case.

Discrete Quantitative Variable

A quantitative variable that can only take on a countable set of possible results.

Continuous Quantitative Variable

A quantitative variable that can theoretically take on any numerical value within a given range, typically obtained via a measurement tool.

Index Variable

A specific type of categorical variable used to uniquely identify individuals, where exactly one case exists in each category.

Response Variable

The outcome variable of interest in a study or statistical analysis.

Explanatory Variable

A variable used to predict, explain, or help understand the values of the response variable.