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Scales of Measurement PPT Mitchell

The document outlines 3 steps for determining the scale of measurement for data: 1) Identify the unit of observation, 2) Determine if the observation will be assigned to a category or measured on an attribute, and 3) Identify if the measurement unit has a true zero. The levels of measurement are nominal, ordinal, interval, and ratio depending on whether observations are placed in categories or measured on attributes and whether the measurement has a true zero point. Examples are provided to demonstrate applying the steps.

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Jessa Molina
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272 views7 pages

Scales of Measurement PPT Mitchell

The document outlines 3 steps for determining the scale of measurement for data: 1) Identify the unit of observation, 2) Determine if the observation will be assigned to a category or measured on an attribute, and 3) Identify if the measurement unit has a true zero. The levels of measurement are nominal, ordinal, interval, and ratio depending on whether observations are placed in categories or measured on attributes and whether the measurement has a true zero point. Examples are provided to demonstrate applying the steps.

Uploaded by

Jessa Molina
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Determining Scale of Measurement

• 3 steps

• Examples

• Try a few
Scales (levels) of Measurement
To determine level of measurement

• Step #1Identify the Unit of Observation


(obs unit) (sampling unit)
– (one of something)
• What you are interested on studying?
• Usually the individual (participant) for psychologists
• Other possible Observational units:
– A rat
– A Group/team
– A Household
– A City
– A Country
– A College student
Scales (Levels) of Measurement
To determine level of measurement

• Step #2 Ask: “What am going to do with the Obs unit?”


– Two options:
• Option A: Assign the Obs unit to a category (quality)
– E.g. gender, race, social security number (unique)
• Option B: Measure the Obs unit on some attribute or behavior
– Intelligence, age, motivational level, number of hotdogs eaten
– If “Yes” to Option A
• Ask: are the categories ranked on some quality?
– E.g. job class (clerical I, II, III)
– E.g. class standing (rank in class)
• If “NO”, not ranked, then level of measurement is NOMINAL
• If “Yes”, categories ranked, level of measure is ORDINAL
Scales (Levels) of Measurement
To determine level of measurement

• If Option B: Measure Obs Unit on some attribute or


behavior
• Step #3 Identify Unit of Measure (Measurement Unit)
– One of something (attribute or behavior)
• E.g. item on a test, inventory
– Ask: “Does the measure have a true zero? Usually:
• Physical and behavioral ones do
– E.g height, weight, number of cases sold
• Psychological attributes do not
– IQ, need for approval, depression level, attitude toward boss
Scales (Levels) of Measurement
To determine level of measurement

• If answer to “Does the measure have a true zero?”


– Is “YES”, level is Ratio
– Is “No”, level is Interval

• Try out a few:


What level (scale)?
Number of children aboard each of 15 school buses?

• Observational unit?
– One school bus
• Place bus in category?
– No
• Measurement Unit?
– One student
• Absolute zero?
– Yes, bus could carry no students
• Level of measure?
– Ratio
What Level Measurement?
Students Fail v. Pass

• Observational unit?
– One student
• Place student in category?
– Yes: fail or pass
• Are the categories ranked on some quality?
– Yes (underlying continuous variable…success in learning)
• Level of measurement?
– Ratio
– Just kidding!
– Ordinal

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