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Measurement Scales
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Measurement Scales

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Different measurement scales allow for different levels of exactness, depending upon the
characteristics of the variables being measured. The four types of scales available in statistical
analysis are

Nominal
Nominal: A scale that measures
data by name only. For example,
religious afliation (measured as
Christian, Jewish, Muslim, and so
forth), political afliation
(measured as Democratic,
Republican, Libertarian, and so
forth), or style of automobile
(measured as sedan, sports car,
SUV, and so forth).
Ordinal
Ordinal: A scale that measures by
rank order only. Other than rough order, no precise measurement is possible. For example,
medical condition (measured as satisfactory, fair, poor, guarded, serious, and critical);
socioeconomic status (measured as lower class, lowermiddle class, middle class, upper
middle class, upper class); or military ofcer rank (measured as lieutenant, captain, major,
lieutenant colonel, colonel, general). Such rankings are not absolute but rather relative to
each other: Major is higher than captain, but we cannot measure the exact difference in
numerical terms. Is the difference between major and captain equal to the difference
between colonel and general? We cannot say.
Interval
Interval: A scale that measures by using equal intervals. Here you can compare differences
between pairs of values. The Fahrenheit temperature scale, measured in degrees, is an
interval scale, as is the centigrade scale. The temperature difference between 50C and 60C
(10 degrees) equals the temperature difference between 80C and 90C (10 degrees). Note
that the 0 in each of these scales is arbitrarily placed, which makes the interval scale
different from ratio.
Ratio
Ratio: Similar to an interval scale, a ratio scale includes a 0 measurement that signies the
point at which the characteristic being measured vanishes (absolute zero). For example,
income (measured in dollars, with 0 equal to no income at all), years of formal education,
items sold, and so forth, are all ratio scales.
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