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.