An attribute is defined as a specific characteristic or feature of a given subject. When we talk about statistical attributes, we mean the specific topic or subject that we want to investigate. If we can clearly identify the statistical attributes in a research project, it helps us generate clear research questions so we can make useful conclusions.

Let's look at some examples and practice identifying statistical attributes.

Worked Examples

Question 1

What statistical attributes would need to be considered if you were trying to investigate how many pets your classmates own?

The number of pets they own
A
How much their pets weigh.
B
The type of pets they own
C

QUESTION 2

What statistical attributes could be being shown in the graph to the right?

Number of children who travel to school and their mode of transport
A
How many people prefer each mode of transport
B
Number of teachers who travel to school and their mode of transport
C

QUESTION 3

What statistical attribute is being compared in the bar graph?

The bar graph is entitled "Preferred Sport." The vertical axis is labeled "Number of boys" and ranges from 0 to 10. The horizontal axis is labeled "Sport" and lists five sports: basketball, racing, athletics, boxing, and baseball.

Preferred sport
A
The number of hours of sport played
B
Number of boys
C

Outcomes

9.SP.S.1

Introduction to Statistics: Collection of data, presentation of data – tabular form, ungrouped/ grouped, bar graphs, histograms (with varying base lengths), frequency polygons, qualitative analysis of data to choose the correct form of presentation for the collected data.

Statistical Attributes