Scales of Measurement

Presenter
Dr. S.M. Shafiqul Islam
Professor of Statistics
 Measurement
Measurement is the process of assigning
numbers or scores to characteristics or
attributes of the objects or people of interest.
Statistical data, whether qualitative or
quantitative, are generated or obtained through
some measurement or observational process.
Each measurement or observation made on any
object or variable can be attributed to one of the
four scales of measurement, viz. nominal,
ordinal, interval, and ratio.
 Nominal Scale

A nominal scale is the simplest of the four scale types and in

which the numbers or letters assigned to objects serve as labels
for identification or classification.
Assign subjects to groups or categories. The categories are

homogeneous
No and mutually exclusive.
arithmetic origin
No order or distance relationship
Only present percentages of categories
Chi-square most often used test of statistical significance
Only count numbers in categories
Classifies data according to a category
only.
E.g., which color people select.
Colors differ qualitatively not
quantitatively.
A number could be assigned to each
color, but it would not have any value.
The number serves only to identify the
color.
No assumptions are made that any color
has more or less value than any other
color.
 Other Examples of Nominal Scale
Sex Social status
Marital status Days of the week (months)
Geographic location Patrons per hour
Ethnic Group Types of restaurants
Brand choice Religion
Job Type: Executive, Technical, Clerical

Coded as 1 Coded as 2
 Ordinal Scale
An ordinal scale is one that that arranges objects
or alternatives according to their magnitude. With
ordinal data, it is fair to say that one response is
greater or less than another.
E.g. if people were asked to rate the hotness of 3
chili peppers, a scale of "hot", "hotter" and "hottest"
could be used. Values of "1" for "hot", "2" for
"hotter" and "3" for "hottest" could be assigned.
Classifies nominal data according to some order
or rank E.g. names ordered alphabetically
The gap between the items is unspecified.
Median but not mean
No unique, arithmetic origin
Can include opinion and preference
scales
Means items cannot be added
In marketing research practice,
ordinal scale variables are often treated
as interval scale variables
Chief properties of ordinal scale of
measurement are
The categories are distinct, mutually
exclusive, and exhaustive
The categories are possible to be
ranked or ordered
The distance or differences from one
category to the other category is not
necessarily constant.
Rank Player Avg Pts Examples
1.Woods 16.53
GPA
2. Els 9.26
3. Singh 9.19 Small medium large
4.Love-III 7.96 Quality
5. Furyk 7.57
Likert scales, rank on a
6. Weir 7.46
scale of 1..5 your degree
7.Toms 5.92 of satisfaction
8.Perry 5.68
Womens dress sizes
9. Harrington 5.37
10. Goosen 5.18
As of Oct 19, 2003
 Interval Scale
An interval scale of measurement includes all the properties of
the nominal and ordinal scales but an additional property that the
difference between values is known and of constant size. An
interval scale assumes that the measurements are made in equal
units.
i.e., Gaps between whole numbers on the scale are equal. A
thermometer, for example, measures temperature in degrees,
which are of the same size at any point in the scale. The difference
between 200C and 21oC is the same as the difference between 140C
and 150C. The temperature 140C,150C, 200C and 21oC can be
ranked and the differences between the temperatures can easily be
determined.
An interval scale does not have to have a true zero. e.g. A
temperature of "zero" does not mean that there is no
temperature...it is just an arbitrary zero point.
 Interval Scale (Contd.)
Permissible statistics: count/frequencies, mode, median, mean,
standard deviation.
Interval scale data have the following properties:
The data classification are mutually exclusive and exhaustive;
The data can be meaningfully ranked or ordered;
The difference between one data-classification to the next is
known and constant.
 Ratio Scale
Almost all quantitative data fall under the
ratio scale of measurement. This scale is
similar to interval scales except that the
ratio scale has a true zero value.

e.g., the time something takes

allows you to compare differences between
numbers.
Permits full arithmetic operation.
If a train journey takes 2 hr and 35 min, then this
is half as long as a journey which takes 5 hr and 10
min.
A family with 6 members is twice as large as of a
family with 3 members.
 Ratio Scale (Contd.)

Properties of Ratio Scales are as follows:

Ratio scale indicates actual amount of variable
Shows magnitude of differences between points on scale
Shows proportions of differences
All statistical techniques useable
Most powerful with most meaningful answers
Allows comparisons of absolute magnitudes
 Examples
height, weight, age,
Length
time
Income
7 Market share
6
1.What is your annual income
5
before taxes? $ _______
4

3
2. How far is your workplace
2
from home? _______
1
miles
0
 Primary Scales of Measurement

Nominal Numbers
Assigned to 4 81 9

Runners

Ordinal Rank Order of

Winners

Third Second First

Place Place Place

Interval Performance
Rating on a 0 to 8.2 9.1 9.6
10 Scale

Ratio Time to Finish in

Seconds 15.2 14.1 13.4
 Comparison of Measurement Scales
Label Order Distance Origin

Nominal scale Yes No No No

Ordinal scale Yes Yes No No

Interval scale Yes Yes Yes No

Ratio scale Yes Yes Yes Yes

 Use of Measurement Scales
Nominal
Used to categorize objects
Ordinal
Used to define ordered relationships
Interval
Used to rank objects such that the magnitude of the
difference between two objects can be determined
Ratio
Same as interval scale but has an absolute zero point