Levels of Measurement

Ervin C. Reyes
Measurement
Measurement is the process of assigning
numbers to quantities. The process is so
familiar that perhaps we often overlook its
fundamental characteristics.
Properties of a Quantity
Quantities that we can measure have a
number of properties. For example, a
quantitity can be discrete or continuous.
Discrete Quantities
A discrete quantity can be placed in 1-1
correspondence with integers. For example,
number of children given birth to, number
of atoms in a bar of soap, number of cars in
your driveway.
Continuous Quantities
Quantities that are continuous can take on
(effectively) infinitely many values over
their range. An example is height or weight.
Height is frequently reported only to the
nearest whole inch. So when a person is
reported as being 71 inches tall, that person
could, for example, have a height of
71.114512312…. inches.
Dangers to Avoid
Attaching unwarranted significance to aspects of
the numbers that do not convey meaningful
information
Failing to simply data when would easily do so
Manipulating our data in ways that destroy
information
Performing meaningless statistical operations on
the data
Levels of Measurement
Attributes have properties that are similar to
numbers.
When we assign numbers to attributes, we
can do so poorly, in which case the
properties of the numbers to not correspond
to the properties of the attributes.
In such a case, we achieve only a “low level
of measurement
Levels of Measurement
On the other hand, if the properties of our
assigned numbers correspond properly to
those of the assigned attributes, we achieve
a high level of measurement.
A simple example should help clarify the
above.
 Levels of Measurement
Nominal level – refer to the data that can
only be classified into categories which are
mutually exclusive and exhaustive. In this
scale, the data are just used as labels or as
means of identify and there is no particular
order for the groupings or categories.
Examples: jersey number, breed, section,
division, group number.
 Levels of Measurement
Ordinal Level – like the nominal scale but
one category is higher than the next one.
There is ranking or order but the distances
between the values or levels or categories
are not constant and not known.
Examples: rank in an honor roll, quality of
product.
 Levels of Measurement
Interval level – like the ordinal scale but the
distances between values or levels are equal
and known but the zero point is not
absolute.
Examples: temperature readings, scores in an
intelligent test.
 Levels of Measurement
Ratio level – like the interval scale but it has
absolute or meaningful zero point and the
ratio between two numbers is meaningful.

Examples: weight, height, number of pupils,

speed, population density.
Properties of Numbers and
Attributes
Nominal (Same-Different). My income is the same
as yours or different.
Ordinal (Ordering). If our incomes are different,
mine is greater or less than yours.
Interval (Relative Differences). The difference
between my income and yours might be, say,
twice as great as the different between my income
and the governor’s.
Ratio (Ratios and Zero Point). My brother’s
income is about 10 times what mine is.
A Simple Example
Six athletes try out for a sprinter’s position
on a local track team.
They all run a 100 meter dash, and are
timed by several coaches each using a
different stopwatch.
 A Simple Example (Nominal)
Athlete True V
Time Nominal

A 10 23
B 11 12
C 13 20
D 20 19
E 13 20
S 0 26
A Simple Example (Nominal)
Watch V is virtually useless, but it has
captured a basic property of the running
times. Namely, two values given by the
watch are the same if and only if two actual
times are the same.
Watch V has achieved only a nominal level
of measurement.
 A Simple Example (Ordinal)
Athlete True V W
Time Nominal Ordinal

A 10 23 11
B 11 12 14
C 13 20 15
D 20 19 18
E 13 20 15
S 0 26 9
A Simple Example (Ordinal)
Besides capturing the same-difference
property, Stopwatch W has the correct
ordering.
We say that Stopwatch W has achieved an
ordinal level of measurement.
 A Simple Example (Ordinal)
Athlete True V W X
Time Nominal Ordinal Ordinal

A 10 23 11 2
B 11 12 14 3
C 13 20 15 4
D 20 19 18 5
E 13 20 15 4
S 0 26 9 1
A Simple Example (Ordinal)
Stopwatch X is also at the ordinal level of
measurement!
What does this tell you?
 A Simple Example (Interval)
Athlete True V W X Y
Time Nominal Ordinal Ordinal Interval

A 10 23 11 2 21
B 11 12 14 3 23
C 13 20 15 4 27
D 20 19 18 5 41
E 13 20 15 4 27
S 0 26 9 1 1
 A Simple Example (Interval)

The relative spacing (not the absolute spacing) of

the values given by stopwatch Y matches the relative
spacing of the actual times. So the intervals are in
correct proportion.
When the numbers capture same-difference, have
the correct order, and have the correct relative
interval spacing, we say they have achieved an
interval level of measurement.
 A Simple Example (Ratio)
Athlete True V W X Y Z
Time Nominal Ordinal Ordinal Interval Ratio

A 10 23 11 2 21 20
B 11 12 14 3 23 22
C 13 20 15 4 27 26
D 20 19 18 5 41 40
E 13 20 15 4 27 26
S 0 26 9 1 1 0
A Simple Example (Ratio)
The data produced by stopwatch Y do not capture
ratios correctly. Person D took twice as long as
person A, but the stopwatch did not assign a value
that was twice as large.
The zero point for stopwatch Y is also incorrect. S
took no time at all, but is assigned a time of 1.
Both deficiencies are corrected by stopwatch Z. It
has nominal, ordinal and interval properties, but
also has correct ratios and a correct zero point.
 SEATWORK: Identify the level of measurement for
each of the following variable.

1. highest educational attainment.

2. predominant hair color.
3. body temperature.
4. civil status.
5. number of children in a household.
6. amount spent on rice last week by a
household