TYPES OF VARIABLES &

SCALES OF
MEASUREMENT
TYPES OF VARIABLES

 QUALITATIVE OR CATEGORICAL
VARIABLE

 QUANTITATIVE OR NUMERICAL
VARIABLE
QUALITATIVE OR CATEGORICAL
VARIABLE

 Qualitative (or categorical) variable

consist of values that can be separated into
different categories that are distinguished
by some nonnumeric characteristic.

Examples:
Gender
Nationality
Job title
QUANTITATIVE OR
NUMERICAL VARIABLE

 Quantitative ( or numerical) variable consist

of values representing counts or measurements.

Examples:
Height
Age
Salary
Identify whether Qualitative or
Quantitative.

 score on a placement exam

 preferred restaurant
 length of time to complete a task
 number of applicants
 number of incorrect answers on a test
 ethnic origin
SCALES OF MEASUREMENT

Scales
Scales of
of measurement
measurement include:
include:
Nominal Interval
Ordinal Ratio

Measurement
Measurement scales
scales are
are used
used to
to categorize
categorize
and/or
and/or quantify
quantify variables.
variables.
NOMINAL SCALE
 Nominal scale classifies data into names,
labels or categories in which no order or
ranking can be imposed.

Examples:
ORDINAL SCALE
 Ordinal scale classifies data into
categories that can be ordered or ranked,
but precise differences between the ranks
do not exist. Generally it does not make
sense to do calculations with data at the
Examples:
ordinal level.
INTERVAL SCALE

 Interval scales are numeric scales in which

we know both the order and the exact
differences between the values. There is
no ‘true’ zero, only an ‘arbitrary’ zero.
Example
:
RATIO SCALE

 Ratio scale has all the characteristics

of the interval level, but a true zero
exists.
Example:

The device provides two examples of Ratio

Scales (height and weight).