Distinguish between (a) variable, and (b) attribute. Explain with examples.

Variable : In Statistics, the term ‘variable’ is used, only if, the changing characteristics can be numerically measured. Thus, heights and weights of individuals are variables, as they can be measured in numerical terms, price of commodities vary over time and space and they can be numerically measured. Therefore prices is a variable. Similarly, incomes of individuals, household expenditures on various items of consumption, size of households, input and outputs of firms are all variables.

Attribute : The looks of people, their intelligence and aptitude for art and music change from one individual to the other, they cannot be measured numerically in the same way as heights and weights, or prices and incomes. Therefore, they are not called variable in the statistical sense. They are called ‘attributes’. We may rank individual according to the quality of attributes. The ranks are sometimes used as their numerical values for purposes of analysis.