Levels of measurement

What are the levels of measurement?

Levels of measurement are nominal, ordinal, interval

What is nominal data?

Nominal data are data that are in separate categories. This is the most basic level of data that can be gathered. For e.g. a set of medical records classifying patients as either chronic, acute or ‘not yet classified’

What is ordinal data?

Ordinal data is data that are ordered in some way. This is known as an ‘arbitrary’ scale of measurement, as 1 and 10 might mean different things to different ppts. For e.g. ppts sense of self-worth, estimated on a scale 1-10

What is interval data?

Interval data is data that are measured using units of equal intervals. This is often referred to as a ‘public scale’ of measurements, as the units are universally recognised. For e.g. cms, kgs, hits