Which of the following is NOT a scale of measurement?
a. Nominal
b. Ordinal
c. Interval
d. All of these are scales of measurement.
The correct answer and explanation is:
The correct answer is: d. All of these are scales of measurement.
Explanation:
In statistics and research, scales of measurement refer to different ways that variables or data can be categorized, ordered, and quantified. There are four commonly recognized scales of measurement: nominal, ordinal, interval, and ratio. The question lists nominal, ordinal, and interval scales, which are indeed valid types of measurement scales.
- Nominal Scale: This is the simplest scale of measurement. It categorizes data without any order or ranking. Examples include gender (male, female), blood type (A, B, AB, O), or colors (red, blue, green). Nominal data can be counted and classified but cannot be logically ordered or measured.
- Ordinal Scale: This scale involves categorizing data with a meaningful order or ranking, but the intervals between the ranks are not necessarily equal. Examples include class rankings, satisfaction ratings (satisfied, neutral, dissatisfied), or levels of education (high school, college, graduate). Ordinal data tells us the order but does not indicate the precise difference between categories.
- Interval Scale: This scale provides ordered categories with equal intervals between values, but it lacks a true zero point. A classic example is temperature measured in Celsius or Fahrenheit. Zero on these scales does not represent the absence of temperature, just a point on the scale. Interval data allows addition and subtraction but not multiplication or division in a meaningful way.
The fourth scale, Ratio Scale, is not mentioned in the options but is also an important scale of measurement. Ratio scales have all the properties of interval scales plus a true zero point, which allows for meaningful ratios. Examples include height, weight, and age.
Since nominal, ordinal, and interval scales are all recognized types of measurement scales, the correct answer is that all the options given are indeed scales of measurement. Therefore, none of the listed options are NOT a scale of measurement.