Question

(Use Excel or SPSS to complete this Assignment).

A random sample of respondents was drawn from three Latin American countries: Nicaragua, Guatemala, and Costa Rica. The variable if interest is the duration (in months) of stay in the United States during a respondent’s first migration to the United States.

Nicaragua: 4, 6, 6, 6, 12, 36, 36, 36, 36, 60, 72, 78, 96, 120, 126, 156, 162, 162, 186, 540
Guatemala: 1, 1, 12, 24, 24, 24, 36, 36, 42, 60, 78, 84, 102, 102, 102, 102,132, 144
Costa Rica: 12, 12, 12, 12, 14, 15, 15, 18, 18, 24, 36, 48, 66, 120, 150, 150, 174, 282, 288

1. Specify the level of measure for the variable of interest here. That is, what is the level of measurement of duration of stay during first U.S. migration?
2. Explain why the values of 12, 24, and 36 are so common in the data? What do these three values have in common?
3. Calculate the mode for Costa Rica.
4. How does the mode for Guatemala compare to that of Costa Rica?
5. In light of your answers to Questions #3 and #4, one explanation is that respondents from Latin American countries closer to the United States have a higher modal duration of stay during their first U.S. migration than respondents from Latin American countries that are further away. Does the evidence from Nicaragua support this idea? (Hint: examine a map of Latin America to see whether you would expect the mode for Nicaragua to be greater than or less than that for Costa Rica and Guatemala.)
6. Given your answer to Question #5, you are interested in extending this idea to the value of the median. Which country would you expect to have the highest median duration of stay in the United States during first U.S. migration?

Which of the three countries above has the highest median value? Does this support your idea that respondents from Latin American countries that are closer to the United States have a higher median duration of stay in the United States during their first migration than respondents from Latin American countries that are further away?

Answer 1

The variable if interest is the duration (in months) of stay in the United States during a respondent’s first migration to the United States.

The the level of measure for the variable of interest here is discrete

the values of 12, 24, and 36 are so common in the data beacuse it implies number of years the respondent’s first migration to the United States. which is usually 1 ,2 or 3 years.

These three values have in common is they are multiple of 12

implying 1 ,2 or 3 years.

1. mode for Costa Rica is 12
2. the mode for Guatemala is 102 and that of Costa Rica is 12 .
3. Hence mode for Guatemala is more that of Costa Rica
4. the mode for Nicaragua is 36 which is to be greater than that for Costa Rica
5. the mode for Nicaragua is 36 which is to less than  Guatemala

Median

If there are even observation then median is average of n/2 and (n+1)/2 observation

If there are odd observation then median n/2 th observation

median of Nicaragua =(60+72)/2=66

median of Costa Rica =24

median of Guatemala =(42+60)/2=51

median of Costa Rica < median of Guatemala< median of Nicaragua

Hope this helps.
Thank You