Salient roles of older adults. In Psychology and Aging (December 2000), University of Michigan School of Public Health researchers studied the roles that older adults feel are the most impor- tant to them in late life. The accompanying table summarizes the most salient roles identi?ed by each in a national sample of 1,102 adults, 65 years or older.
MOST SALIENT ROLE NUMBER
Spouse 424
Parent 269
Grandparent 148
Other relative 59
Friend 73
Homemaker 59
Provider 34
Volunteer, club, church member 36
Total 1,102
Source: Krause, N., and Shaw, B.A. ‘‘Role-speci?c feelings of control and mortality," Psychology and Aging, Vol. 15, No. 4, Table 2, Copyright © 2000, American Psychological Association, reprinted with permission.
(a) Describe the qualitative variable summarized in the table. Give the categories associated with the variable.
(b) Are the numbers in the table frequencies or relative frequencies?
(c) Display the information in the table in a bar graph.
(d) Which role is identi?ed by the highest per- centage of older adults? Interpret the relative frequency associated with this role.