Answer
The answer is a) a nominal scale variable.
Explanation
A nominal scale variable is a type of variable that classifies observations into categories that have no inherent order. The possible responses to the question “How many Blu-ray players made by other manufacturers have you used?” are 0, 1, 2, 3, and so on. These categories have no inherent order, so the variable is nominal.
Nominal Scale Variables
Nominal scale variables are the simplest type of scale. They are used to classify observations into categories that have no inherent order. For example, gender, eye color, and blood type are all nominal scale variables.
Ordinal Scale Variables
Ordinal scale variables are a type of scale that classifies observations into categories that have order. However, the distances between the categories are not meaningful. For example, the categories “good,” “fair,” and “poor” are ordinal scale variables.
Interval Scale Variables
Interval scale variables are a type of scale that classifies observations into categories that have order and the distances between the categories are meaningful. For example, temperature measured in degrees Celsius is an interval scale variable.
Ratio Scale Variables
Ratio scale variables are a type of scale that classifies observations into categories that have order, the distances between the categories are meaningful, and there is a true zero point. For example, length measured in meters is a ratio scale variable.
In the Scenario
The possible responses to the question “How many Blu-ray players made by other manufacturers have you used?” are 0, 1, 2, 3, and so on. These categories have no inherent order, so the variable is nominal. Therefore, the answer is a) a nominal scale variable.