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    Minahil Toseef

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    SCALES OF MEASUREMENT IN PSYCHOLOGY

    Scales of measurement:
    Scales of measurement is a way to measure variables in order to define and categorise them.
    Each scale of measure have specific characteristics which tells how to analyse data properly.
    The properties include

     Identity
     Magnitude
     Equal intervals
     A minimum value of zero

    IDENTITY: it refers that each value have a specific meaning .


    Example: names of people like Ali or Ahmed these are only labels and doesn’t include any
    numerical differences
    MAGNITUDE: it means that there is a relationship of order or ranking between values. The
    difference cannot b measured
    Example: heights like tall or short in which tall is higher than short.
    EQUAL INTERVALS: in this the values have clear order and ranking and the difference
    between values are equal and can be measured.
    Example: temperature: the difference between 20 ‘C and 25 ‘C is same as difference between
    40’ and 45'C
    A MINIMUM VALUE OF ZERO: it means that the value below zero can still have meaning.
    Example: temperature when it falls below 0 degree still have meaning to it.
    Types of Scales of measurement:

     Nominal Scale:
    It means that assigning labels to the varials and it’s data can be put into categories but
    its difference cannot be measured.
    Example: determining the gender in our study which includes male or female.
     Ordinal scale:
    The ordinal scale defines data that is placed in a specific order. While each value is
    ranked, there’s no information that specifies what differentiates the categories from
    each other. These values can’t be added to or subtracted from
    Example: if a brand want to know how satisfied their costumers are with their
    products they might ask them to specify their feelings like very satisfied or somewhat
    dissatisfied ect.

     Interval scale:
    Interval scales maintain the order of variables like ordinal scales, but they also have a
    consistent, measurable difference between each category.
    Example: In psychology, a standardized intelligence test like the Wechsler Adult
    Intelligence Scale (WAIS) measures intelligence using an interval scale. The
    difference between an IQ score of 100 and 110 is the same as the difference between
    110 and 120.

     Ratio scale:
    Ratio scales of measurement include properties from all four scales of measurement.
    The data is nominal and defined by an identity, can be classified in order, contains
    intervals and can be broken down into exact value. Weight, height and distance are all
    examples of ratio variables. Data in the ratio scale can be added, subtracted, divided
    and multiplied.

    Ratio scales also differ from interval scales in that the scale has a ‘true zero’. The
    number zero means that the data has no value point. Example: height or weight, as
    someone cannot be zero centimetres tall or weigh zero kilos – or be negative
    centimetres or negative kilos.

    Conclusion:
    Understanding the scale of measurement is crucial in determining the appropriate
    statistical analyses that can be performed on the data. Choosing the wrong scale can
    lead to inaccurate conclusions and inappropriate statistical tests.

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