Quick Study: Scales of Measurement PDF

Quick Study: Scales of Measurement What is a Scale? When collecting data, there are a number of things we need to consider, such as what data to gather, in what form, and how. There are four scales of measurement: nominal, ordinal, interval, ratio....

Quick Study: Scales of Measurement What is a Scale? When collecting data, there are a number of things we need to consider, such as what data to gather, in what form, and how. There are four scales of measurement: nominal, ordinal, interval, ratio. Nominal and ordinal scales are examples of qualitative data. Interval and ratio scales are examples of quantitative data. Nominal Scales: Places data into categories based on the names. Examples: gender, language, nationality. There is no order in the nominal scales. Ordinal Scales: Utilizes rank order by which the data is sorted, such as 1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc., but does not account for a degree of difference between them. Example: A competition rank order can be assigned, but the results of their performance are not established by the rank. The gold silver medalists could have finished seconds or minutes apart from each other. Interval Scales: Positive, linear, and measurable. The most common example is temperature in degrees Fahrenheit. The difference between 39 and 40 degrees is the same magnitude as the difference between 82 and 83. Ration Scales: Interval data with an absolute, not an arbitrary, zero point. For example, time, mass, length, and duration are ratio scales. Due to the non-arbitrary zero point in ratio, it makes it meaningful to say, for example, that one object has "twice the length" of another. MFT National Exam © 2023 Therapist Development Center 1