[STAT 101] ARC 1: DESCRIPTIVE NOTE:

STATISTICS
o It is important to know the level of measurement
CHAPTER 2.1: LEVELS OF MEASUREMENT used to measure a variable to help us in the
interpretation of the value that the variable takes
PRELIMINARIES: Quantitative and Qualitative on.
Variables, and Continuous and Discrete Variables o Knowing the level of measurement helps us decide
on the appropriate statistical tool to analyze the
data.
QUALITATIVE VARIABLE is a variable that
yields categorical responses. RATIO LEVEL

Example: assigned sex at birth, employment status, The ratio level of measurement has ALL of the
brand of laptop a person owns following properties:

QUANTITATIVE VARIABLE is a variable that ✓ The numbers in the measurement system are
takes on numerical values representing an amount or used to classify an element into distinct
quantity. categories. These categories are non-
overlapping and exhaustive.
Example: height, age, mass ✓ The system arranges the categories according
to magnitude.
The two kinds of Quantitative Variable are:
✓ The system has a fixed unit of measurement
DISCRETE VARIABLE is a variable which can representing a set size throughout the scale.
assume finite, or at least countably infinite number of ✓ The system has an absolute zero.
values. Examples are no. of mutual friends on FB and
Example:
word count in an essay.
Level of Measurement: RATIO
CONTINUOUS VARIABLE is a variable which
can assume infinitely many values that can be stated 1st Property: if your weekly allowance is Php 500,
using an interval. Examples are height and mass. and your Friend 1 has an allowance of Php 500,
then you have the same allowance. If your Friend
NOTE:
2’s allowance is Php 501, then your allowances are
o Some variables, although numerical in nature, are different.
still categorical variables.
o To know whether a specific variable has a fixed 2nd Property: Friend 2’s allowance of Php 501 is
unit, try to add or subtract the values of the larger than your allowance of Php 500. Friend 3’s
variable. If the result can be interpreted, then the allowance of Php 499 is smaller than your
variable has a fixed unit. allowance.
o Most variables with units (meters, hours, degrees
Celsius) are quantitative. 3rd Property: The 1-peso difference between
Friend 2 and your allowance is just the same as the
LEVELS OF MEASUREMENT 1-peso difference between your allowance and
Friend 3’s allowance.
MEASUREMENT is the process of determining the
value or label of the variable based on what has been 4th Property: A value of zero would mean that the
observed. student does not have an allowance.
MORE EXAMPLES:
o the allowance of a student (in pesos)
o distance travelled by an airplane (in km)
NOMINAL ORDINAL INTERVAL RATIO o the speed of a car (in kph)
o height of an adult (in cm)
o weight of a new-born baby (in kg)
 INTERVAL LEVEL
The internal level of measurement has the NOTE:
following properties:
o Since the system has NO fixed unit of
✓ The numbers in the measurement system are measurement and NO true zero, then the
used to classify an element into distinct differences and ratios of measurements taken
categories. These categories are non- using the scale are not interpretable.
overlapping and exhaustive.
✓ The system arranges the categories according NOMINAL LEVEL
to magnitude. The nominal level of measurement has the
✓ The system has a fixed unit of measurement following properties:
representing a set size throughout the scale.
✓ The system has an absolute zero. ✓ The numbers in the measurement system are
used to classify an element into distinct
Example: categories. These categories are non-
Level of Measurement: INTERVAL overlapping and exhaustive.
✓ The system arranges the categories according
o temperature readings in degrees to magnitude.
Celsius/Fahrenheit ✓ The system has a fixed unit of measurement
o intelligence quotient representing a set size throughout the scale.
o calendar dates whether Gregorian, Hebrew, or ✓ The system has an absolute zero.
Islamic
Example:
ORDINAL LEVEL
Level of Measurement: NOMINAL
NOTE:
o nationality
o Since there is no true zero in the system, then the ➢ 1 – Filipino, 2 – others
ratios of measurement are taken using the scale are o ranking in a competition
not interpretable. ➢ 1 – asexual, 2 – bisexual. 3 – heterosexual,
4 – homosexual, 5 – others
The ordinal level of measurement has the following
properties: NOTE:

✓ The numbers in the measurement system are o The nominal level is the weakest level of
used to classify an element into distinct measurement since we use symbols or numbers
categories. These categories are non- for the sole purpose of classifying an
individual/object into two or more categories. We
overlapping and exhaustive.
can only count the number of observations per
✓ The system arranges the categories according category and compute for proportions and
to magnitude. percentages.
✓ The system has a fixed unit of measurement
representing a set size throughout the scale.
✓ The system has an absolute zero.
o Observations measured using the nominal or
Example: the ordinal levels of measurement are usually
referred to as CATEGORICAL DATA.
Level of Measurement: ORDINAL
o A special type of analysis is used for
o faculty rank categorical data because of the restrictions in
➢ 1 – Instructor, 2 – Assistant Professor, 3 – the system.
Associate Professor, 4 – Professor
o ranking in a competition
➢ 1st place, 2nd place, 3rd place, and so on