The Unit of Analysis

The unit of analysis is the “who” or “what” of our study. In our study of American states, the unit of analysis (the “what” of our study) is the state.

Another study may investigate if people who earn more money are more likely to vote. In this study, the unit of analysis (the “who” of the study) is the individual.

A third study may investigate if schools where most students are white are more likely to have a computer lab. In this study, the unit of analysis (the “what” of the study) is the school.

Finally, a study may investigate if countries with access to the coast trade more than landlocked countries. In this study, the unit of analysis (the “what” of the study) is the country.

In any study, variables should describe the unit of analysis. In a study in which the unit of analysis is the state, we look at variables that describe states--such as population size, number of universities, or whether the state has an NBA franchise. In a study in which the unit of analysis is the individual, we look at variables that describe people--such as income, gender, or race.

Note that when we looked for dependent and independent variables in different hypotheses, we were also dealing with different units of analysis.