ABSTRACT
In any area, it is essential to be able to interpret whether the values of given variables are low, average or high. If we do not understand what a value means, then we cannot make a decision based on the value and the variable is invalid. Some variables have become well understood through every day use; for example, in athletics it is understood that a 10,000m time of under 27 minutes is world class for a senior man while a time faster than 40 minutes could be considered good for a recreational runner. There are other variables that are not be so well understood requiring research to determine what low, average and high values are. Note that we are not using the terms poor, average and good because this requires relating the variable to some valid indicator of quality. There are some variables where the higher the value the better (for example, how far an athlete can throw a javelin), somewhere the lower the value the better (for example, the time it takes to run 100m) and others where an optimal value is better (for example, Body Mass Index).
