scales of measurement

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Questions and Answers

NOMINAL SCALE: Which of the following is an example of a nominal scale variable?

Age

Income

Eye color (correct)

Height

NOMINAL SCALE: What can we say about the different possibilities of a nominal scale variable?

They are all the same

They are different (correct)

They can be ranked

They can be averaged

NOMINAL SCALE: If we have a variable representing transportation type with the values 'train', 'bus', 'car', and 'bicycle', what can we say about the average transportation type?

The average transportation type is 'bus'

The average transportation type is 'train'

There is no average transportation type (correct)

The average transportation type is 'car'

NOMINAL SCALE: Which of the following best describes a nominal scale variable?

A variable in which there is no particular relationship between the different possibilities Signup and view all the answers

NOMINAL SCALE: Suppose I have a variable called 'eye color' which can have the values 'blue', 'green', or 'brown'. What type of scale is this variable?

Nominal scale Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes an ordinal scale variable?

An ordinal scale variable has a natural, meaningful way to order the different possibilities Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is an example of an ordinal scale variable?

Number of siblings Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes an ordinal scale variable?

An ordinal scale variable is one in which there is a natural, meaningful way to order the different possibilities, but you can't do anything else. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is an example of an ordinal scale variable?

The level of education a person has completed. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes an interval scale variable?

A variable for which the numerical value is meaningful and addition and subtraction are meaningful Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is an example of an interval scale variable?

The temperature in degrees celsius Signup and view all the answers

Suppose I'm interested in studying the change in happiness levels of individuals over time. Which type of scale would be most appropriate for measuring happiness?

Ordinal scale Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes an interval scale variable?

An interval scale variable has meaningful addition and subtraction. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is an example of an interval scale variable?

Temperature in degrees Celsius Signup and view all the answers

Suppose I want to measure the change in attitude towards a particular topic over time. Which type of scale would be most appropriate for this measurement?

Interval scale Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following statements about ratio scale variables is true?

Ratio scale variables can be measured using both addition/subtraction and multiplication/division Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is an example of a ratio scale variable?

Height in centimeters Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Nominal Scale Variables

Nominal scale variables are categorical and have no inherent order or numerical value.
Examples of nominal scale variables include:
- Transportation type (e.g., 'train', 'bus', 'car', 'bicycle')
- Eye color (e.g., 'blue', 'green', 'brown')
Nominal scale variables cannot be averaged, as there is no inherent order or numerical value.
The different possibilities of a nominal scale variable are simply labels or categories.

Ordinal Scale Variables

Ordinal scale variables have a natural order or ranking, but the differences between the categories are not equal.
Examples of ordinal scale variables include:
- Education level (e.g., high school, bachelor's, master's, PhD)
- Severity of a disease (e.g., mild, moderate, severe)
Ordinal scale variables can be ranked or compared, but the distances between the categories are not equal.

Interval Scale Variables

Interval scale variables have a natural order or ranking, and the differences between the categories are equal.
Examples of interval scale variables include:
- Happiness levels (e.g., 1-10, where the difference between 1 and 2 is the same as the difference between 8 and 9)
- Temperature (e.g., Celsius or Fahrenheit)
Interval scale variables can be compared and have a meaningful zero point, but the ratio of the values is not meaningful.

Ratio Scale Variables

Ratio scale variables have a natural order or ranking, and the differences between the categories are equal, with a true zero point.
Examples of ratio scale variables include:
- Height (e.g., inches or centimeters)
- Weight (e.g., pounds or kilograms)
Ratio scale variables can be compared, and the ratio of the values is meaningful.

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Description

Test your knowledge of scales of measurement in psychology with this quiz. Learn about the different qualitative types of variables and understand the concept of nominal scales.