Consider the variable income in gss.sav file (the variable is total family income in the year before the survey).

1. Make a frequency table for the variable. Does the frequency table make sense? Does it make sense to make a histogram of the variable? A bar chart?
2. What is the scale of measurement for the variable?
3. What descriptive statistics are appropriate for describing this variable and why? Does it make sense to compute a mean?
4. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of recording income in this manner. Describe other ways of recording income and the problem associated with each of them.?

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gss.sav [D Edit File 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 Data View IDM CRCC CL Frequencies Age of respondent [age] Age category [agecat] Respondent's highest degree [degree] Highest year of school completed [educ] Hours of e-mail per week for Internet users [emailhrs] Number of hours worked last week [hrs 1] Degree [ndegree] Internet usage category [netcat] Hours on Internet per week for Internet users [nethrs] Respondent's sex [sex] Number of hours spouse worked last week [sphrs 1] Search engine name [srcheng2] Use computer? [usecomp] Use e-mail? [usemail] Use Internet? [usenet] Use WWW? [useweb] Hours on the WWW per week for Internet users [webhrs] HAPPINESS OF MARRIAGE [hapmar] GENERAL HAPPINESS [happy] HIGHEST YEAR SCHOOL COMPLETED, SPOUSE [speduc] RESPONDENTS INCOME FOR LAST YEAR [rincome] IS LIFE EXCITING OR DULL [life] TOTAL FAMILY INCOME FOR LAST YEAR [income] HIGHEST YEAR SCHOOL COMPLETED, MOTHER [maeduc] HIGHEST YEAR SCHOOL COMPLETED, FATHER [paeduc] MARITAL STATUS [marital] DEUCE INUICE ACTED DEATHL:1 Display frequency tables OK Paste Variable(s): Hours per day watching TV [tvhours] Create APA style tables Reset Cancel Help x Statistics... Charts... Format... Style... Bootstrap.. ON X gss.sav [D Edit File 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 Data View Frequencies 4 HIGHILUI ILAN SVI TUUL VOIVII LLILU, UI JOUL [Sport] RESPONDENTS INCOME FOR LAST YEAR [rincome] IS LIFE EXCITING OR DULL [life] TOTAL FAMILY INCOME FOR LAST YEAR [income] HIGHEST YEAR SCHOOL COMPLETED, MOTHER [maeduc] HIGHEST YEAR SCHOOL COMPLETED, FATHER [paeduc] MARITAL STATUS [marital] BELIEF IN LIFE AFTER DEATH [postlife] VOTE FOR CLINTON, DOLE, PEROT [pres96] IF RICH, CONTINUE OR STOP WORKING [richwork] JOB OR HOUSEWORK [satjob] NUMBER OF BROTHERS AND SISTERS [sibs] SPOUSES HIGHEST DEGREE [spdeg] SPOUSE LABOR FORCE STATUS [spwrksta] DID R VOTE IN 1996 ELECTION [vote96] LABOR FRCE STATUS [wrkstat] RESPONDENTS ASTROLOGICAL SIGN [zodiac] Family income; ranges recoded to midpoints [incomdol] Respondent's income; ranges recoded to midpoints [rincdol] husband's education (yrs) [husbeduc] wife's education (yrs) [wifeduc] hours husband worked last week [husbhr] hours wife worked last week [wifehr] husband works full time [husbft] wife works full time [wifeft] husb edu minus wife edu [cpldifed] paeduc minus maeduc [prtdifed] Display frequency tables OK Paste Variable(s): Hours per day watching TV [tvhours] Create APA style tables Cancel Help Reset X Statistics... Charts... Format... Style... Bootstrap... ON X gss.sav [DataSet 1] - IBM SPSS Statistics Data Editor File Edit View Data 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 Name age agecat degree educ emailhrs hrs 1 ndegree netcat nethrs sex sphrs 1 srcheng2 tvhours usecomp usemail usenet useweb webhrs hapmar happy speduc rincome Iransform Analyze Graphs Type Numeric Numeric Numeric Numeric Numeric Numeric Numeric Numeric Numeric Numeric Numeric Numeric Numeric Numeric Numeric Numeric Numeric Numeric Numeric Numeric Numeric Numeric Data View Variable View 2 8 1 2 8 2 1 1 8 1 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 8 1 1 2 2 Width Decimals 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 OO 0 Utilities Extensions Window Help Label Values Age of respond... {98, DK)... Missing 0, 98, 99 Age category {1, 18-29)... None Respondent's h... {0, Less tha... 7, 8, 9 Highest year of ... {97, NAP)... 97, 98, 99 Hours of e-mail ... {-3.00, Time... -1.00, -2.00,...8 Number of hour... {-1, NAP)... -1, 98, 99 Degree {0, Less tha... None Internet usage... {1, Not Inter... 9, 1 Hours on Intern... {-3.00, Time... -1.00, -2.00, 8 Respondent's sex {1, Male}... None Number of hour... {-1, NAP)... -1, 98, 99 Search engine ... {0, Not appli... 0, 98, 99 Hours per day... {-1, NAP)... -1, 98, 99 {0, No}... 8 8 8 8 8 Use computer? 9 8 Use e-mail? {0, No}... 9 8 Use Internet? 9 8 9 {0, No}... Use WWW? {0, No}... Hours on the W... {-3.00, Time... HAPPINESS O... {0, NAP)... GENERAL HA... {0, NAP)... HIGHEST YEA... {97, NAP)... RESPONDENT... NAP}... Columns 8 7 8 8 8 8 -1.00, -2.00,...8 0, 8, 9 0, 8, 9 97, 98, 99 0, 98, 99 8 8 8 8 Align Right Right Right Right Right Right Right Right Right Right Right Right Right Right Right Right Right Right Right Right Right Right Measure Scale Ordinal Ordinal Scale Scale Scale Ordinal Ordinal Scale Nominal Scale Nominal Scale Nominal Nominal Nominal Nominal Scale Ordinal Ordinal Scale Ordinal Role Input Input Input Input Input Input Input Input Input Input Input Input Input Input Input Input Input Input Input Input Input Input IBM SPSS Statistics Processor is ready T Unicode:ON n X gss.sav [DataSet1] - IBM SPSS Statistics Data Editor File Edit View Data 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 Name rincome life income maeduc paeduc marital postlife pres96 richwork satjob sibs spdeg spwrksta vote96 wrkstat zodiac incomdol rincdol husbeduc wifeduc husbhr wifehr Transform Analyze Graphs Utilities Extensions Window Type Numeric Numeric Numeric Numeric Numeric Numeric Numeric Numeric Numeric Numeric Numeric Numeric Numeric Numeric Numeric Numeric Numeric Numeric Numeric Numeric Numeric Numeric 2 1 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 2 8 8 8 8 8 8 Width Decimals 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 2 2 Help Label Values RESPONDENT... {0, NAP)... Missing 0, 98, 99 IS LIFE EXCITI... {0, NAP)... 0, 8, 9 TOTAL FAMILY... {0, NAP)... 0, 98, 99 HIGHEST YEA... {97, NAP)... 97, 98, 99 HIGHEST YEA... {97, NAP)... 97, 98, 99 MARITAL STAT... {1, MARRIE... 9 BELIEF IN LIF... {0, NAP)... 0, 8, 9 VOTE FOR CLI... {0, NAP)... 0, 8, 9 IF RICH, CONTI... {0, NAP)... 0, 8, 9 JOB OR HOUS... {0, NAP)... 0, 8, 9 NUMBER OF B... {98, DK)... 98, 99 SPOUSES HIG... {0, LT HIGH... 7, 8, 9 SPOUSE LAB... {0, NAP)... 0,9 DID R VOTE IN... {0, NAP)... 0, 8, 9 LABOR FRCE {0, NAP)... 0,9 RESPONDENT... {0, NAP)... 0, 98, 99 Family income;... {-3, not avail... -1, -2, -3 Respondent's i... {-2, don't kn... -1, -2, -3 None None husband's educ... None wife's education... None hours husband... None None hours wife work... None None Columns 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 U Align Right Right Right Right Right Right Right Right Right Right Right Right Right Right Right Right Right Right Right Right Right Right Measure Ordinal Ordinal Ordinal Scale Scale Nominal Nominal Nominal Nominal Ordinal Scale Ordinal Nominal Nominal Nominal Nominal Scale Scale Scale Scale Scale Scale Role Input Input Input Input Input Input Input Input Input Input Input Input Input Input Input Input Input Input Input Input Input Input T 0 X gss.sav [DataSet 1] - IBM SPSS Statistics Data Editor File Edit View Data 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 Data View Name postlife pres96 richwork satjob sibs spdeg spwrksta vote96 wrkstat zodiac incomdol rincdol husbeduc wifeduc husbhr wifehr husbft wifeft cpldifed prtdifed Iransform Analyze Graphs Type Numeric Numeric Numeric Numeric Numeric Numeric Numeric Numeric Numeric Numeric Numeric Numeric Numeric Numeric Numeric Numeric Numeric Numeric Numeric Numeric Variable View 1 1 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 2 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 Width Decimals 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 2 2 2 2 ~~ 2 2 Utilities Extensions Window Help Missing 0, 8, 9 Label Values BELIEF IN LIF... {0, NAP)... VOTE FOR CLI... {0, NAP)... 0, 8, 9 IF RICH, CONTI... {0, NAP)... 0, 8, 9 JOB OR HOUS... {0, NAP)... 0, 8, 9 NUMBER OF B... {98, DK)... 98, 99 SPOUSES HIG... {0, LT HIGH... 7, 8, 9 SPOUSE LAB... {0, NAP)... 0,9 DID R VOTE IN... {0, NAP)... 0, 8, 9 LABOR FRCE ... {0, NAP}... 0,9 RESPONDENT... {0, NAP)... 0, 98, 99 Family income;... {-3, not avail... -1, -2, -3 Respondent's i... {-2, don't kn... -1, -2, -3 husband's educ... None None None None wife's education... None hours husband None hours wife work... None husband works... {.00, No)... None None None wife works full ti... {.00, No)... husb edu minu... None None paeduc minus ... None None Columns 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 Align Right Right Right Right Right Right Right Right Right Right Right Right Right Right Right Right Right Right Right Right Measure Nominal Nominal Nominal Ordinal Scale Ordinal Nominal Nominal Nominal Nominal Scale Scale Scale Scale Scale Scale Nominal Nominal Scale Scale Role Input Input Input Input Input Input Input Input Input Input Input Input Input Input Input Input Input Input Input Input T n X gss.sav [D Edit File 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 Data View IDM CRCC CL Frequencies Age of respondent [age] Age category [agecat] Respondent's highest degree [degree] Highest year of school completed [educ] Hours of e-mail per week for Internet users [emailhrs] Number of hours worked last week [hrs 1] Degree [ndegree] Internet usage category [netcat] Hours on Internet per week for Internet users [nethrs] Respondent's sex [sex] Number of hours spouse worked last week [sphrs 1] Search engine name [srcheng2] Use computer? [usecomp] Use e-mail? [usemail] Use Internet? [usenet] Use WWW? [useweb] Hours on the WWW per week for Internet users [webhrs] HAPPINESS OF MARRIAGE [hapmar] GENERAL HAPPINESS [happy] HIGHEST YEAR SCHOOL COMPLETED, SPOUSE [speduc] RESPONDENTS INCOME FOR LAST YEAR [rincome] IS LIFE EXCITING OR DULL [life] TOTAL FAMILY INCOME FOR LAST YEAR [income] HIGHEST YEAR SCHOOL COMPLETED, MOTHER [maeduc] HIGHEST YEAR SCHOOL COMPLETED, FATHER [paeduc] MARITAL STATUS [marital] DEUCE INUICE ACTED DEATHL:1 Display frequency tables OK Paste Variable(s): Hours per day watching TV [tvhours] Create APA style tables Reset Cancel Help x Statistics... Charts... Format... Style... Bootstrap.. ON X gss.sav [D Edit File 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 Data View Frequencies 4 HIGHILUI ILAN SVI TUUL VOIVII LLILU, UI JOUL [Sport] RESPONDENTS INCOME FOR LAST YEAR [rincome] IS LIFE EXCITING OR DULL [life] TOTAL FAMILY INCOME FOR LAST YEAR [income] HIGHEST YEAR SCHOOL COMPLETED, MOTHER [maeduc] HIGHEST YEAR SCHOOL COMPLETED, FATHER [paeduc] MARITAL STATUS [marital] BELIEF IN LIFE AFTER DEATH [postlife] VOTE FOR CLINTON, DOLE, PEROT [pres96] IF RICH, CONTINUE OR STOP WORKING [richwork] JOB OR HOUSEWORK [satjob] NUMBER OF BROTHERS AND SISTERS [sibs] SPOUSES HIGHEST DEGREE [spdeg] SPOUSE LABOR FORCE STATUS [spwrksta] DID R VOTE IN 1996 ELECTION [vote96] LABOR FRCE STATUS [wrkstat] RESPONDENTS ASTROLOGICAL SIGN [zodiac] Family income; ranges recoded to midpoints [incomdol] Respondent's income; ranges recoded to midpoints [rincdol] husband's education (yrs) [husbeduc] wife's education (yrs) [wifeduc] hours husband worked last week [husbhr] hours wife worked last week [wifehr] husband works full time [husbft] wife works full time [wifeft] husb edu minus wife edu [cpldifed] paeduc minus maeduc [prtdifed] Display frequency tables OK Paste Variable(s): Hours per day watching TV [tvhours] Create APA style tables Cancel Help Reset X Statistics... Charts... Format... Style... Bootstrap... ON X gss.sav [DataSet 1] - IBM SPSS Statistics Data Editor File Edit View Data 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 Name age agecat degree educ emailhrs hrs 1 ndegree netcat nethrs sex sphrs 1 srcheng2 tvhours usecomp usemail usenet useweb webhrs hapmar happy speduc rincome Iransform Analyze Graphs Type Numeric Numeric Numeric Numeric Numeric Numeric Numeric Numeric Numeric Numeric Numeric Numeric Numeric Numeric Numeric Numeric Numeric Numeric Numeric Numeric Numeric Numeric Data View Variable View 2 8 1 2 8 2 1 1 8 1 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 8 1 1 2 2 Width Decimals 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 OO 0 Utilities Extensions Window Help Label Values Age of respond... {98, DK)... Missing 0, 98, 99 Age category {1, 18-29)... None Respondent's h... {0, Less tha... 7, 8, 9 Highest year of ... {97, NAP)... 97, 98, 99 Hours of e-mail ... {-3.00, Time... -1.00, -2.00,...8 Number of hour... {-1, NAP)... -1, 98, 99 Degree {0, Less tha... None Internet usage... {1, Not Inter... 9, 1 Hours on Intern... {-3.00, Time... -1.00, -2.00, 8 Respondent's sex {1, Male}... None Number of hour... {-1, NAP)... -1, 98, 99 Search engine ... {0, Not appli... 0, 98, 99 Hours per day... {-1, NAP)... -1, 98, 99 {0, No}... 8 8 8 8 8 Use computer? 9 8 Use e-mail? {0, No}... 9 8 Use Internet? 9 8 9 {0, No}... Use WWW? {0, No}... Hours on the W... {-3.00, Time... HAPPINESS O... {0, NAP)... GENERAL HA... {0, NAP)... HIGHEST YEA... {97, NAP)... RESPONDENT... NAP}... Columns 8 7 8 8 8 8 -1.00, -2.00,...8 0, 8, 9 0, 8, 9 97, 98, 99 0, 98, 99 8 8 8 8 Align Right Right Right Right Right Right Right Right Right Right Right Right Right Right Right Right Right Right Right Right Right Right Measure Scale Ordinal Ordinal Scale Scale Scale Ordinal Ordinal Scale Nominal Scale Nominal Scale Nominal Nominal Nominal Nominal Scale Ordinal Ordinal Scale Ordinal Role Input Input Input Input Input Input Input Input Input Input Input Input Input Input Input Input Input Input Input Input Input Input IBM SPSS Statistics Processor is ready T Unicode:ON n X gss.sav [DataSet1] - IBM SPSS Statistics Data Editor File Edit View Data 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 Name rincome life income maeduc paeduc marital postlife pres96 richwork satjob sibs spdeg spwrksta vote96 wrkstat zodiac incomdol rincdol husbeduc wifeduc husbhr wifehr Transform Analyze Graphs Utilities Extensions Window Type Numeric Numeric Numeric Numeric Numeric Numeric Numeric Numeric Numeric Numeric Numeric Numeric Numeric Numeric Numeric Numeric Numeric Numeric Numeric Numeric Numeric Numeric 2 1 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 2 8 8 8 8 8 8 Width Decimals 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 2 2 Help Label Values RESPONDENT... {0, NAP)... Missing 0, 98, 99 IS LIFE EXCITI... {0, NAP)... 0, 8, 9 TOTAL FAMILY... {0, NAP)... 0, 98, 99 HIGHEST YEA... {97, NAP)... 97, 98, 99 HIGHEST YEA... {97, NAP)... 97, 98, 99 MARITAL STAT... {1, MARRIE... 9 BELIEF IN LIF... {0, NAP)... 0, 8, 9 VOTE FOR CLI... {0, NAP)... 0, 8, 9 IF RICH, CONTI... {0, NAP)... 0, 8, 9 JOB OR HOUS... {0, NAP)... 0, 8, 9 NUMBER OF B... {98, DK)... 98, 99 SPOUSES HIG... {0, LT HIGH... 7, 8, 9 SPOUSE LAB... {0, NAP)... 0,9 DID R VOTE IN... {0, NAP)... 0, 8, 9 LABOR FRCE {0, NAP)... 0,9 RESPONDENT... {0, NAP)... 0, 98, 99 Family income;... {-3, not avail... -1, -2, -3 Respondent's i... {-2, don't kn... -1, -2, -3 None None husband's educ... None wife's education... None hours husband... None None hours wife work... None None Columns 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 U Align Right Right Right Right Right Right Right Right Right Right Right Right Right Right Right Right Right Right Right Right Right Right Measure Ordinal Ordinal Ordinal Scale Scale Nominal Nominal Nominal Nominal Ordinal Scale Ordinal Nominal Nominal Nominal Nominal Scale Scale Scale Scale Scale Scale Role Input Input Input Input Input Input Input Input Input Input Input Input Input Input Input Input Input Input Input Input Input Input T 0 X gss.sav [DataSet 1] - IBM SPSS Statistics Data Editor File Edit View Data 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 Data View Name postlife pres96 richwork satjob sibs spdeg spwrksta vote96 wrkstat zodiac incomdol rincdol husbeduc wifeduc husbhr wifehr husbft wifeft cpldifed prtdifed Iransform Analyze Graphs Type Numeric Numeric Numeric Numeric Numeric Numeric Numeric Numeric Numeric Numeric Numeric Numeric Numeric Numeric Numeric Numeric Numeric Numeric Numeric Numeric Variable View 1 1 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 2 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 Width Decimals 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 2 2 2 2 ~~ 2 2 Utilities Extensions Window Help Missing 0, 8, 9 Label Values BELIEF IN LIF... {0, NAP)... VOTE FOR CLI... {0, NAP)... 0, 8, 9 IF RICH, CONTI... {0, NAP)... 0, 8, 9 JOB OR HOUS... {0, NAP)... 0, 8, 9 NUMBER OF B... {98, DK)... 98, 99 SPOUSES HIG... {0, LT HIGH... 7, 8, 9 SPOUSE LAB... {0, NAP)... 0,9 DID R VOTE IN... {0, NAP)... 0, 8, 9 LABOR FRCE ... {0, NAP}... 0,9 RESPONDENT... {0, NAP)... 0, 98, 99 Family income;... {-3, not avail... -1, -2, -3 Respondent's i... {-2, don't kn... -1, -2, -3 husband's educ... None None None None wife's education... None hours husband None hours wife work... None husband works... {.00, No)... None None None wife works full ti... {.00, No)... husb edu minu... None None paeduc minus ... None None Columns 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 Align Right Right Right Right Right Right Right Right Right Right Right Right Right Right Right Right Right Right Right Right Measure Nominal Nominal Nominal Ordinal Scale Ordinal Nominal Nominal Nominal Nominal Scale Scale Scale Scale Scale Scale Nominal Nominal Scale Scale Role Input Input Input Input Input Input Input Input Input Input Input Input Input Input Input Input Input Input Input Input T n X