What data type is created when performing the sign test?

What data type is created when performing the sign test?

• A. Interval data.
• B. Nominal data.
• C. Ordinal data.
• D. Ratio data.

Answer: (B)

The sign test looks only at the direction of change between paired observations, ignoring how large the change is. For each pair, you record whether the difference is a plus or a minus, giving two categories. Because the data you end up working with are simply these two categories, they are nominal (categorical) data. The test then counts how many pairs show a positive difference versus a negative one, treating them as outcomes of a binomial process under the null. Interval and ratio data involve meaningful magnitudes and true zeroes, which the sign test ignores, while ordinal would imply an ordered ranking that isn’t used here.

The sign test looks only at the direction of change between paired observations, ignoring how large the change is. For each pair, you record whether the difference is a plus or a minus, giving two categories. Because the data you end up working with are simply these two categories, they are nominal (categorical) data. The test then counts how many pairs show a positive difference versus a negative one, treating them as outcomes of a binomial process under the null. Interval and ratio data involve meaningful magnitudes and true zeroes, which the sign test ignores, while ordinal would imply an ordered ranking that isn’t used here.