Measurement Scales

Ritesh Pandey

July 7, 2022

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This course is about making sense of quantitative (numerical) data about experimental units
(people, professions, companies, industries, countries etc.)

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 But first, the data has to be collected.

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Data collection begins with deciding how to measure the variables (IQ, GNP, assertiveness etc.)
we find to be of interest.

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In other words, we need a scale of measurement for each variable in our research project.

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 Have a look at some variables in the table below.

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 Characteristic Label(category)
Jersey Number 1,2,. . .,11

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 Characteristic Label(category)
Jersey Number 1,2,. . .,11

Religion Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Sikh, Other

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 Characteristic Label(category)
Jersey Number 1,2,. . .,11

Religion Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Sikh, Other

Gender Male, Female, Other

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 Characteristic Label(category)
Jersey Number 1,2,. . .,11

Religion Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Sikh, Other

Gender Male, Female, Other

Eye colour Black, Brown, Hazel, Green, Blue

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 Characteristic Label(category)
Jersey Number 1,2,. . .,11

Religion Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Sikh, Other

Gender Male, Female, Other

Eye colour Black, Brown, Hazel, Green, Blue

Mental disorder Schizophrenia, Depression, Anxiety

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 Characteristic Label(category)
Jersey Number 1,2,. . .,11

Religion Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Sikh, Other

Gender Male, Female, Other

Eye colour Black, Brown, Hazel, Green, Blue

Mental disorder Schizophrenia, Depression, Anxiety

Reinforcer Food, Water, Money, Compliment

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An exercise

1 Taking cues from the above table, define your own variable for any experimental unit.

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An exercise

1 Taking cues from the above table, define your own variable for any experimental unit.
2 Decide on the categories.

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An exercise

1 Taking cues from the above table, define your own variable for any experimental unit.
2 Decide on the categories.
3 Attach numeric labels to the categories.

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An exercise

1 Taking cues from the above table, define your own variable for any experimental unit.
2 Decide on the categories.
3 Attach numeric labels to the categories.
4 Populate artificial data for any 10 fictitious units.

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An exercise

1 Taking cues from the above table, define your own variable for any experimental unit.
2 Decide on the categories.
3 Attach numeric labels to the categories.
4 Populate artificial data for any 10 fictitious units.
5 Find out the average and the range (maximum minus minimum) for the populated data.

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 Let’s look at some results.

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Nominal scales

1 The above variables were measured on a Nominal/Categorical scale.

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Nominal scales

1 The above variables were measured on a Nominal/Categorical scale.

2 The numeric labels corresponding to each category were just that: labels (used for
identification only).

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Nominal scales

1 The above variables were measured on a Nominal/Categorical scale.

2 The numeric labels corresponding to each category were just that: labels (used for
identification only).
3 It is meaningless to perform arithmetic operations like addition, subtraction, multiplication
and division using them.

Ritesh Pandey Measurement Scales July 7, 2022 10 / 31

Nominal scales

1 The above variables were measured on a Nominal/Categorical scale.

2 The numeric labels corresponding to each category were just that: labels (used for
identification only).
3 It is meaningless to perform arithmetic operations like addition, subtraction, multiplication
and division using them.
4 The only operation that can be done is counting: How many units land up in each category?

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Nominal scales

1 The above variables were measured on a Nominal/Categorical scale.

2 The numeric labels corresponding to each category were just that: labels (used for
identification only).
3 It is meaningless to perform arithmetic operations like addition, subtraction, multiplication
and division using them.
4 The only operation that can be done is counting: How many units land up in each category?
5 Of course, count data (frequencies/percentages) can then be used to compare units across
categories.

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Nominal scales

1 The above variables were measured on a Nominal/Categorical scale.

2 The numeric labels corresponding to each category were just that: labels (used for
identification only).
3 It is meaningless to perform arithmetic operations like addition, subtraction, multiplication
and division using them.
4 The only operation that can be done is counting: How many units land up in each category?
5 Of course, count data (frequencies/percentages) can then be used to compare units across
categories.
6 Nominal scale data has no quantitative ordering.

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 Let us look at some more data.

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 Runner Position when finished 800m race
Vishakha 3

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 Runner Position when finished 800m race
Vishakha 3

Jayanti 5

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 Runner Position when finished 800m race
Vishakha 3

Jayanti 5

Kirti 4

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 Runner Position when finished 800m race
Vishakha 3

Jayanti 5

Kirti 4

Neha 6

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 Runner Position when finished 800m race
Vishakha 3

Jayanti 5

Kirti 4

Neha 6

Vidushi 1

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 Runner Position when finished 800m race
Vishakha 3

Jayanti 5

Kirti 4

Neha 6

Vidushi 1

Narmada 2

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An exercise

Listed below are a few actresses whose work you may have watched on screen.

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An exercise

Listed below are a few actresses whose work you may have watched on screen.
Simply based on your perception, rank each of them on a scale of 1 to 12 for aggressiveness,
1 being least aggressive.

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An exercise

Listed below are a few actresses whose work you may have watched on screen.
Simply based on your perception, rank each of them on a scale of 1 to 12 for aggressiveness,
1 being least aggressive.

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An exercise

Listed below are a few actresses whose work you may have watched on screen.
Simply based on your perception, rank each of them on a scale of 1 to 12 for aggressiveness,
1 being least aggressive.
1 Shraddha

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An exercise

Listed below are a few actresses whose work you may have watched on screen.
Simply based on your perception, rank each of them on a scale of 1 to 12 for aggressiveness,
1 being least aggressive.
1 Shraddha
2 Deepika

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An exercise

Listed below are a few actresses whose work you may have watched on screen.
Simply based on your perception, rank each of them on a scale of 1 to 12 for aggressiveness,
1 being least aggressive.
1 Shraddha
2 Deepika
3 Disha

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An exercise

Listed below are a few actresses whose work you may have watched on screen.
Simply based on your perception, rank each of them on a scale of 1 to 12 for aggressiveness,
1 being least aggressive.
1 Shraddha
2 Deepika
3 Disha
4 Alia

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An exercise

Listed below are a few actresses whose work you may have watched on screen.
Simply based on your perception, rank each of them on a scale of 1 to 12 for aggressiveness,
1 being least aggressive.
1 Shraddha
2 Deepika
3 Disha
4 Alia
5 Kareena

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An exercise

Listed below are a few actresses whose work you may have watched on screen.
Simply based on your perception, rank each of them on a scale of 1 to 12 for aggressiveness,
1 being least aggressive.
1 Shraddha
2 Deepika
3 Disha
4 Alia
5 Kareena
6 Priyanka

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An exercise

Listed below are a few actresses whose work you may have watched on screen.
Simply based on your perception, rank each of them on a scale of 1 to 12 for aggressiveness,
1 being least aggressive.
1 Shraddha
2 Deepika
3 Disha
4 Alia
5 Kareena
6 Priyanka
7 Anushka

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An exercise

Listed below are a few actresses whose work you may have watched on screen.
Simply based on your perception, rank each of them on a scale of 1 to 12 for aggressiveness,
1 being least aggressive.
1 Shraddha
2 Deepika
3 Disha
4 Alia
5 Kareena
6 Priyanka
7 Anushka
8 Katrina

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An exercise

Listed below are a few actresses whose work you may have watched on screen.
Simply based on your perception, rank each of them on a scale of 1 to 12 for aggressiveness,
1 being least aggressive.
1 Shraddha
2 Deepika
3 Disha
4 Alia
5 Kareena
6 Priyanka
7 Anushka
8 Katrina
9 Tapsee

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An exercise

Listed below are a few actresses whose work you may have watched on screen.
Simply based on your perception, rank each of them on a scale of 1 to 12 for aggressiveness,
1 being least aggressive.
1 Shraddha
2 Deepika
3 Disha
4 Alia
5 Kareena
6 Priyanka
7 Anushka
8 Katrina
9 Tapsee
10 Kangana

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An exercise

In your perception, how does the aggressiveness difference between Kareena and Priyanka
compare with that between Tapsee and Kangana?

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Ordinal scales

1 The above variables were measured on a Ordinal scale.

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Ordinal scales

1 The above variables were measured on a Ordinal scale.

2 The numbers were in a specific rank order and the ordering mattered.

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Ordinal scales

1 The above variables were measured on a Ordinal scale.

2 The numbers were in a specific rank order and the ordering mattered.
3 However, beyond the ranking, the numbers conveyed no information.

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Ordinal scales

1 The above variables were measured on a Ordinal scale.

2 The numbers were in a specific rank order and the ordering mattered.
3 However, beyond the ranking, the numbers conveyed no information.
4 The separation between the various ranks does not have actual significance since the ranks
may not imply equal spacing between the levels of the variable being measured.

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Ordinal scales

1 The above variables were measured on a Ordinal scale.

2 The numbers were in a specific rank order and the ordering mattered.
3 However, beyond the ranking, the numbers conveyed no information.
4 The separation between the various ranks does not have actual significance since the ranks
may not imply equal spacing between the levels of the variable being measured.
5 Vidushi coming first in the 800m race, Narmada coming second and Vishakha coming in
third does not mean that the time gap between Vidushi and Narmada will be the same as
that between Narmada and Vishakha.

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Question Suppose that

AggressivenessKareena = 4,
AggressivenessPriyanka = 6,
AggressivenessTapsee = 8 and
AggressivenessKangana = 12.

How will you interpret this data?

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Question Volcano A erupted in the year 0 AD, then in the year 500 AD and then in the year 2000
AD.

Can we agree that the time-gap between the first and the second eruptions is one-third of that
between the second and the third eruptions?

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Question Volcano A erupted in the year 0 AD, then in the year 500 AD and then in the year 2000
AD.

Can we agree that the third eruption is 4 times as old as the second eruption?

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Question The altitude of New Delhi is 200m (actually 216m) above sea level. That of Nainital is
2000m (actually 2084m).

Can we agree that Nainital is about 10 times higher than Delhi?

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Question The temperature of body A is measured at 300 degrees Centigrade while that of body B
is 1800 degrees Centigrade .

What does this data tell us?

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0 degrees Centigrade is defined as the temperature at which water freezes at 1 atm pressure.

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Question The temperature of body A is measured at 250 degrees Fahrenheit while that of body B
is 1000 degrees Fahrenheit .

What does this data tell us?

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0 degrees Fahrenheit is defined as the temperature at which brine (ammonium chloride solution)
freezes at 1 atm pressure.

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Question The temperature of body A is measured at 120 degrees Kelvin while that of body B is
480 degrees Kelvin .

What does this data tell us?

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0 degrees Kelvin is defined as the temperature at which all molecular motion ceases (so that there
is no heat).

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Interval scales

1 Variables were measured on a Interval scale have not only rank-ordered measurements but
the spacing between two adjacent intervals is the same throughout the scale (“ibterval
property”).

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Interval scales

1 Variables were measured on a Interval scale have not only rank-ordered measurements but
the spacing between two adjacent intervals is the same throughout the scale (“ibterval
property”).
2 This means that the differences between measurements are comparable to each other.

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Interval scales

1 Variables were measured on a Interval scale have not only rank-ordered measurements but
the spacing between two adjacent intervals is the same throughout the scale (“ibterval
property”).
2 This means that the differences between measurements are comparable to each other.
3 We can carry out operations of addition, subtraction and multiplication on the
measurements.

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Interval scales

1 Variables were measured on a Interval scale have not only rank-ordered measurements but
the spacing between two adjacent intervals is the same throughout the scale (“ibterval
property”).
2 This means that the differences between measurements are comparable to each other.
3 We can carry out operations of addition, subtraction and multiplication on the
measurements.
4 But the “zero” of the scale is relative and not absolute. It is arbitrarily fixed in that zero
does not correspond to the total absence of the variable being measured.

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Interval scales

1 Variables were measured on a Interval scale have not only rank-ordered measurements but
the spacing between two adjacent intervals is the same throughout the scale (“ibterval
property”).
2 This means that the differences between measurements are comparable to each other.
3 We can carry out operations of addition, subtraction and multiplication on the
measurements.
4 But the “zero” of the scale is relative and not absolute. It is arbitrarily fixed in that zero
does not correspond to the total absence of the variable being measured.
5 This means that ratios of measurements don’t make any sense in interval data.

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Ratio scales

1 Ratio scales have rank ordering, interval property as well as true zero property.

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Ratio scales

1 Ratio scales have rank ordering, interval property as well as true zero property.
2 So, division makes sense and ratios are meaningful numbers.

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Ratio scales

1 Ratio scales have rank ordering, interval property as well as true zero property.
2 So, division makes sense and ratios are meaningful numbers.
3 Weight, height, points scored (and other types of counts), age in years etc. all can be
measured on interval scales.

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Ratio scales

1 Ratio scales have rank ordering, interval property as well as true zero property.
2 So, division makes sense and ratios are meaningful numbers.
3 Weight, height, points scored (and other types of counts), age in years etc. all can be
measured on interval scales.
4 It makes sense to say that A weighs twice as much as B.

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Question 60 students of a class are asked to solve the following problem.

How many flags can we make with 7 stripes, if we have 2 white, 2 red and 3 green stripes?

The time taken by each student to solve the problem was noted. What scale would you prefer for
the above measurement?

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Characteristic Label(category)
Size of petal “Small”, “Medium”, “Big”

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Characteristic Label(category)
Size of petal “Small”, “Medium”, “Big”

Mental state after waking up “Very Tired”, “Tired”, “Awake”, “Very Awake”

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Characteristic Label(category)
Size of petal “Small”, “Medium”, “Big”

Mental state after waking up “Very Tired”, “Tired”, “Awake”, “Very Awake”

Five years after marriage “Very Happy”,“Happy”, “Neutral”, “Unhappy”, “Very Unhappy”

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The Likert Scale (Rensis Likert, 1932) is a very popular measurement tool in psychology. A
example is:

Prime Ministers should have just one term.

1 Strongly Disagree

What kind of scale would you call it?

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The Likert Scale (Rensis Likert, 1932) is a very popular measurement tool in psychology. A
example is:

Prime Ministers should have just one term.

1 Strongly Disagree
2 Disagree

What kind of scale would you call it?

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The Likert Scale (Rensis Likert, 1932) is a very popular measurement tool in psychology. A
example is:

Prime Ministers should have just one term.

1 Strongly Disagree
2 Disagree
3 Neither Agree nor Disagree

What kind of scale would you call it?

Ritesh Pandey Measurement Scales July 7, 2022 30 / 31

The Likert Scale (Rensis Likert, 1932) is a very popular measurement tool in psychology. A
example is:

Prime Ministers should have just one term.

1 Strongly Disagree
2 Disagree
3 Neither Agree nor Disagree
4 Agree

What kind of scale would you call it?

Ritesh Pandey Measurement Scales July 7, 2022 30 / 31

The Likert Scale (Rensis Likert, 1932) is a very popular measurement tool in psychology. A
example is:

Prime Ministers should have just one term.

1 Strongly Disagree
2 Disagree
3 Neither Agree nor Disagree
4 Agree
5 Strongly Agree
What kind of scale would you call it?

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 Question 1:
Are the measurements ordered?

No
Yes
Nominal
Scale Question 2:
Are adjacent measurements equally spaced?

No
Yes
Ordinal
Scale Question 2:
Is the zero absolute?

No Yes

Interval Ratio
Scale Scale

Figure: How to identify scale-type

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