What are the two main categories of survey data?

The two main categories of survey data are best understood as Categorical and Numerical. Categorical data refers to variables that can be divided into distinct categories or groups, such as gender, hair color, or type of vehicle. These categories do not have a numerical order or value associated with them; they simply represent different classifications.

Numerical data, on the other hand, consists of measurable quantities that can be expressed as numbers. This category includes data that involves counts (like the number of participants in a survey) or measurements (such as height, weight, and temperature).

While the other options present relevant classifications, they do not encompass the broader categories of survey data in the same comprehensive way. Qualitative and Quantitative are terms often used interchangeably with categorical and numerical, but they are less frequently used in survey data contexts. Ordinal and Nominal refer specifically to types of categorical data, and Discrete and Continuous categorize numerical data based on the nature of the values, but do not capture the full spectrum of survey data types.