Exercise: Histogram for talking time

Langewitz et al. (2002) studied the length of time for which patients spoke when explaining their problem to a doctor in the outpatient clinic of the department of internal medicine at the university hospital in Basle.

They produced the following histogram:

Questions

1. Is spontaneous talking time a qualitative or a quantitative variable? If qualitative, is it ordered? If quantitative, is it discrete or continuous?

Check suggested answer 1.

2. How would you describe the shape of this distribution?

Check suggested answer 2.

3. What is wrong with this histogram?

Check suggested answer 3.

Reference

Langewitz W, Denz M, Keller A, Kiss A, Rüttimann A, Wössmer B. (2002) Spontaneous talking time at start of consultation in outpatient clinic: cohort study. British Medical Journal 325, 682-683.

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Last updated: 19 January, 2009.