3.1 Categorical vs. Quantitive Variables

• Categorical (i.e. Qualitative) data are descriptive and can be grouped into meaningful themes or categories. The distribution of a single categorical variable is typically plotted with a bar chart, a pie chart, or (less commonly) a tree map.

• Quantitative data are countable or measurable and can be analyzed using statistical analysis. The distribution of a single quantitative variable is typically plotted with a histogram, kernel density plot, or dot plot.