In a quantitative research study, which combination of data collection methods, variable types, and inferential statistics would best allow researchers to analyze the relationship between income level (ordinal variable) and spending habits (continuous variable)?

To analyze the relationship between income level, which is an ordinal variable, and spending habits, a continuous variable, researchers can use a combination of surveys and statistical analysis. First, they could collect data through surveys that ask participants about their income levels and how much they spend on different categories, like food or entertainment. With this data, researchers can treat income levels as ordered groups and use statistical methods like Spearman's rank correlation to understand the relationship between these two variables. For example, if researchers find that higher income levels tend to correlate with increased spending on luxury items, this can help them understand spending behaviors better. This approach allows for a clear analysis of how income impacts spending, using appropriate methods for the types of data collected.