Which term describes a variable consisting of only two categories?

Which term describes a variable consisting of only two categories?

• A. Dichotomous
• B. Discrete variable
• C. Direct effect
• D. DFBeta

Answer: (A)

When a variable has exactly two categories, we describe it as dichotomous. This term emphasizes the binary nature of the item—two mutually exclusive outcomes such as yes/no, male/female, or present/absent. It’s a specific label for a two-valued variable. A discrete variable, by contrast, refers more generally to countable values and isn’t restricted to just two options; it can have many possible values. The other terms, direct effect and DFBeta, aren’t about the type of variable at all—they relate to aspects of a regression model (a causal influence term and a diagnostic statistic, respectively).

When a variable has exactly two categories, we describe it as dichotomous. This term emphasizes the binary nature of the item—two mutually exclusive outcomes such as yes/no, male/female, or present/absent. It’s a specific label for a two-valued variable.

A discrete variable, by contrast, refers more generally to countable values and isn’t restricted to just two options; it can have many possible values. The other terms, direct effect and DFBeta, aren’t about the type of variable at all—they relate to aspects of a regression model (a causal influence term and a diagnostic statistic, respectively).