MEASUREMENT AND SCALING

• In social phenomena, there are two types of

variables
1. Quantitative and
2. Qualitative.

• Measurement and Scaling - Conversion of

qualitative data into quantitative data and then
measuring them.
• Measurement

– Assigning numbers or some other symbols to the

characteristics of certain objects

• Scaling – is an extension of measurement

Satisfaction levels of customers towards a product using a 1 to 5

scale

• 1 - extremely dissatisfied
• 5 - extremely satisfied.

Measurement is the actual assignment of no. from 1 to 5

Scaling is the process of placing the respondent on a continuum

with respect to their satisfaction towards the product
The scales used in research can be described in
terms of four basic characteristics.

– Description/Label
• Unique labels or descriptors are used to designate each value of the
scale

– Order
• The relative positions. Denoted by descriptors like ‘greater than’, ‘less
than’ , ‘most preferred’ etc.

– Distance
• Absolute differences between the scale descriptors are known and can
be expressed in units

– Origin
• The scale has a unique or fixed beginning or true zero point. E.g.:
Income
 Primary Scales of Measurement
• Nominal Scale

– Lowest level of measurement

– To classify objects events and individuals into

mutually exclusive categories

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• Numbers are assigned for the purpose of identification of the
objects

• Any object which has a higher no doesn’t indicate that it is

superior

• Only limited statistics, based on frequency counts, are

possible

– E.g. – Marital status – Yes/No

– Married persons may be assigned a no. – 1 and unmarried –no. – 2

– In which of these depts. Do you work? HR (1), Mktg (2), IT(3),

Operations(4), Finance(5)

– Where do you live? – City / Town / Village

• No ranking, rating and comparison can be
done using this data.

• Weakest form of data

• Non metric data

•Ordinal Scale

•Next higher level of measurement than nominal scale

•One of the limitations of nominal scales – i.e., whether

the assigned no. is superior to the other or not – is
taken care in ordinal scale

•It tells us the relative positions of the objects, ranking

is done here

•No Equal Value between ranks

- Includes the characteristics of nominal scale in
addition to indicating order

- Represents a hierarchy of levels

- Remember the word – Order in Ordinal scale

- Can be used in
- ranking consumers’ preferences towards various brands
etc.
- consumers’ opinion towards various attributes related to
service (quality, price, appeal etc.)

– NON METRIC DATA

• Interval Scale

• Next higher level of measurement

• Takes care of the limitation in ordinal scale where the

difference between the score on the ordinal scale doesn’t
have a meaningful interpretation

• Possesses all the characteristics of nominal and ordinal

scales but it also allows to compare the difference between
two objects.

• The units of measure (intervals between successive

positions) are equal
– E.g.: With the Fahrenheit scale, the difference between 70
degrees and 75 degrees is equal to the difference between
80 degrees and 85 degrees.

• METRIC DATA
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• Ratio Scale

– Highest level of measurement

– Interval scale with natural origin (a true zero point) possessing all the characteristics of
the number system

– We can classify objects, rank objects, compare intervals

– All mathematical operations can be carried out using the ratio scale data

• E.g.: weight, height, area, sales etc.

– METRIC DATA

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6
5
4
3
2
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1
0
 Label Order Distance Origin

Nominal scale Yes No No No

Information Ordinal scale Yes Yes No No

content
increases
Interval scale Yes Yes Yes No

Ratio scale Yes Yes Yes Yes

 Types of data Characteristics of Data Examples

Nominal Classification but no order, distance Gender (Male or female)

or origin

Ordinal Classification and order but no Quality of Service

distance or unique origin (Excellent, Very good,
Average, Poor, Very Poor)

Interval Classification, order and distance Temperature in degrees

but no unique origin

Ratio Classification, order, distance and Age in years

unique origin