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Types of Data & Measurement Scales: Ordinal Scale

The document discusses four types of measurement scales: nominal, ordinal, interval, and ratio. Each scale satisfies certain properties: nominal scales satisfy only identity, ordinal scales satisfy identity and magnitude, interval scales satisfy identity, magnitude, and equal intervals, and ratio scales satisfy all properties including having a true minimum value of zero. Examples are provided for each scale to illustrate their characteristics and appropriate statistical analyses.

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Tanmay Maity
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162 views

Types of Data & Measurement Scales: Ordinal Scale

The document discusses four types of measurement scales: nominal, ordinal, interval, and ratio. Each scale satisfies certain properties: nominal scales satisfy only identity, ordinal scales satisfy identity and magnitude, interval scales satisfy identity, magnitude, and equal intervals, and ratio scales satisfy all properties including having a true minimum value of zero. Examples are provided for each scale to illustrate their characteristics and appropriate statistical analyses.

Uploaded by

Tanmay Maity
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Types of Data & Measurement Scales

Measurement scales are used to categorize and/or quantify variables.

Properties of Measurement Scales

Each scale of measurement satisfies one or more of the following properties of measurement.

 Identity. Each value on the measurement scale has a unique meaning.


 Magnitude. Values on the measurement scale have an ordered relationship to one another.
That is, some values are larger and some are smaller.
 Equal intervals. Scale units along the scale are equal to one another. This means, for
example, that the difference between 1 and 2 would be equal to the difference between 19
and 20.
 A minimum value of zero. The scale has a true zero point, below which no values exist.

There are four measurement scales (or types of data): nominal, ordinal, interval and ratio.  These are
simply ways to categorize different types of variables.

Nominal Scale

The nominal scale of measurement only satisfies the identity property of measurement. Values
assigned to variables represent a descriptive category, but have no inherent numerical value with
respect to magnitude.

Nominal scales are used for labeling variables, without any quantitative value.  “Nominal” scales
could simply be called “labels.”  Examples: Gender, Hair colour, Blood group etc.

Notice that all of these scales are mutually exclusive (no overlap) and none of them have any
numerical significance.

Ordinal Scale

The ordinal scale has the property of both identity and magnitude. Each value on the ordinal scale
has a unique meaning, and it has an ordered relationship to every other value on the scale.

With ordinal scales, the order of the values is what’s important and significant, but the differences
between each one is not really known.

Ordinal scales are typically measures of non-numeric concepts like satisfaction, happiness,
discomfort, etc.

Example of ordinal scales:

 How do you feel today? (Very unhappy, Unhappy, OK, Happy, Very Happy)
 How satisfied are you with our service? (Very unsatisfied, Somewhat unsatisfied, Neutral,
Somewhat satisfied, Very satisfied)

The best way to determine central tendency on a set of ordinal data is to use the mode or median.
Interval Scale

An interval variable is a measurement where the difference between two values is meaningful. The
interval scale of measurement has the properties of identity, magnitude, and equal intervals.
Interval scales not only tell us about order, but also about the value between each item.

The classic example of an interval scale is Celsius temperature because the difference between each
value is the same.  For example, the difference between 60 and 50 degrees is a measurable 10
degrees, as is the difference between 80 and 70 degrees.  Time is another good example of an
interval scale in which the increments are known, consistent, and measurable.

Central tendency can be measured by mode, median, or mean; standard deviation can also be
calculated.

Features:

There is no “true zero” in interval scale.  For example, there is no such thing as “no temperature,” at
least not with celsius.  In the case of interval scales, zero doesn’t mean the absence of value, but is
actually another number used on the scale, like 0 degrees celsius. 

Negative numbers also have meaning.  Without a true zero, it is impossible to compute ratios.  With
interval data, we can add and subtract, but cannot multiply or divide.

For example, 10 degrees C + 10 degrees C = 20 degrees C.  No problem there.  20 degrees C is not
twice as hot as 10 degrees C, however, because there is no such thing as “no temperature” when it
comes to the Celsius scale.  When converted to Fahrenheit, it’s clear: 10C=50F and 20C=68F, which is
clearly not twice as hot.

Ratio Scale

The ratio scale of measurement satisfies all four of the properties of measurement: identity,
magnitude, equal intervals, and a minimum value of zero.

A ratio variable, has all the properties of an interval variable, and also has a clear definition of 0.0.
When the variable equals 0.0, there is none of that variable.

Variables like height, weight, enzyme activity are ratio variables. Temperature, expressed in F or C, is
not a ratio variable. A temperature of 0.0 on either of those scales does not mean 'no heat'.
However, temperature in Kelvin is a ratio variable, as 0.0 Kelvin really does mean 'no heat'.

Another counter example is pH. It is not a ratio variable, as pH=0 just means 1 molar of H+ and the
definition of molar is fairly arbitrary. A pH of 0.0 does not mean 'no acidity'.

When working with ratio variables, but not interval variables, one can look at the ratio of two
measurements. A weight of 4 grams is twice a weight of 2 grams, because weight is a ratio variable.
A temperature of 100 degrees C is not twice as hot as 50 degrees C, because temperature C is not a
ratio variable. A pH of 3 is not twice as acidic as a pH of 6, because pH is not a ratio variable.

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