A Level Psychology OCR Practice Exam

The Chi-squared test is primarily used for which type of data?

1. Ordinal

2. Continuous

3. Nominal

4. Interval

The correct answer is: Nominal

The Chi-squared test is primarily used for nominal data because it is designed to assess whether there is a significant association between categorical variables. Nominal data consists of distinct categories without an inherent order, such as gender, eye color, or types of fruits. The Chi-squared test analyzes the frequency of occurrences within these categories to determine if the observed data significantly deviates from what would be expected if there were no relationship between the variables. In contrast, ordinal data contains categories that have a meaningful order but do not have consistent intervals between them. Continuous data can take on any value within a range and is measured on a scale. Interval data, similar to continuous data, also possesses meaningful measures and equal intervals but lacks a true zero point. Since the Chi-squared test relies on counts of occurrences in distinct categories, it is not suitable for analyzing ordinal, continuous, or interval data.