A Comprehensive Analysis of Levels of Measurement in Research

Verified

Added on  2023/05/30

|5
|1074
|190
Essay
AI Summary
This essay provides an in-depth analysis of the four levels of measurement used in statistical investigations: nominal, ordinal, interval, and ratio. It begins by defining the concept of levels of measurement, attributing the definition to psychologist Stanley Stevens, who describes it as a cataloging process that differentiates information variations based on assigned values. The essay elaborates on each level, providing examples such as gender classification for the nominal level, classroom performance rating for the ordinal level, score gaps between students for the interval level, and linking scores to an absolute zero value for the ratio level. Furthermore, it distinguishes between categorical and continuous levels, highlighting that categorical levels offer predetermined categories, while continuous levels have an immeasurable number of values between two points. The essay concludes by illustrating the application of these levels in public administration, using the United States Census Bureau as an example, which utilizes these levels to categorize census data into nominal (men, women), ordinal (age, income), interval (gaps), and ratio (men-to-women) levels, demonstrating their practical significance in understanding social facts and trends.
Document Page
Running head: LEVELS OF MEASUREMENT 1
Levels of Measurement
Student’s Name
Institutional Affiliation
tabler-icon-diamond-filled.svg

Paraphrase This Document

Need a fresh take? Get an instant paraphrase of this document with our AI Paraphraser
Document Page
LEVELS OF MEASUREMENT 2
Levels of Measurement
Statistical investigations usually require in-depth data collection and analysis. For this
reason, a researcher ought to possess a clear grasp of the fundamental levels of measurement. As
a rule, a research variable (especially in quantitative experiments) has four levels of
measurement including nominal, ordinal, interval, or ratio (Newcomer, Hatry, & Wholey, 2015).
Psychologist Stanley Stevens defines a level of measurement as a cataloging process that
describes information based on the values assigned to the individual variables. When viewed
from this lens, a level of measurement is a differentiation method that shows information
variations.
The Four Levels of Measurement
Nominal Level. This first level of measurement is used primarily for classification. One
would be right to assert that it provides the least amount of details regarding a variable. It is often
represented by alpha-numeric symbols or letters (Meaningful Evidence, 2015). A survey that
explores lifestyle trends for three gender classes including male, female, and transgender appears
quite exemplary. The investigator in such a scenario can assign letters M, F, and T – respectively
– to the three variables. These letters would be considered the nominal level of measurement.
Ordinal Level. Like the nominal level of measurement, this one classifies the information
(Newcomer, Hatry, & Wholey, 2015). A classroom performance rating system appears quite
exemplary. Typically, a teacher assigns scores alongside student names during academic
performance grading. The student names represent the nominal level of measurement while their
scores mark the ordinal level of measurement (Norman, 2010). For the sake of this argument,
consider the ranks 1-n (where n is defined by the total number of students): note that each
Document Page
LEVELS OF MEASUREMENT 3
student in each rank (nominal level) will have a unique score (ordinal level) (Meaningful
Evidence, 2015).
Interval Level. This third level assumes two functions: classification of the measurements
and specification of the quantitative/statistical gaps between each point. Note that this process
follows the scale of low to high (Fife-Schaw, 2006). At this point, the reader is urged to reflect
on the preceding classroom test grading example. The interval would be the score gap between
two students: e.g. the interval between student 1 (score 95) and student 2 (score 80) would be the
same as the interval between student 35 (score 21) and student 20 (score 16).
Ratio Level. This is the final, and the most detailed level of measurement. It observes the
difference between two intervals then measures them on a scale containing the absolute value
‘zero (0)’. The primary objective of the ratio level of measurement is to link this interval to an
absolute value (Norman, 2010). The classroom example still makes sense in this regard: score 90
will be said to be twice as much as score 45 since the measurement will be done on a scale that
links both to an absolute value (zero).
The Distinction between Categorical and Continuous Levels of Measurements
By default, categorical levels of measurement (mainly ordinal level) offers a
predetermined number of categories while continuous levels of measurement (mainly ratio) have
an immeasurable number of values between two values. Time is a good example of a continuous
level of measurement since there is infinite number of values between any two points: day-to-
day, hour-hour, and century-to-century et cetera (Norman, 2010). On the other hand, categorical
levels not logically ordered compared to continual levels of measurements. Gender, marital
status, and material type are examples of data that fit into this category (Schnake & Dumler,
2003). Such a factor differs from the logically ordered continuous levels of measurement. This
Document Page
LEVELS OF MEASUREMENT 4
level of measurement assumes a value (or values) within a measurement scale. Temperature,
time, distance, and weight are examples of data that fit into this category.
The Application of the Four Levels of Measurement in Public Administration
By now, it is obvious that the levels of measurement are common in statistical
investigations. The United States Census Bureau is an example of a public administration
organization that utilizes these levels to gain insight into social facts and trends. It categorizes the
census data into the nominal (men, women), ordinal (age, income), interval (gaps), and ratio
(men-to-women) levels (Ortman, Velkoff, & Hogan, 2017). Note that the items in brackets are
among the various types of data that the bureau measures using the four levels.
tabler-icon-diamond-filled.svg

Paraphrase This Document

Need a fresh take? Get an instant paraphrase of this document with our AI Paraphraser
Document Page
LEVELS OF MEASUREMENT 5
References
Fife-Schaw, C. (2006). Levels of measurement. Research methods in psychology, 3, 50-63.
Meaningful Evidence (2015). 6 Steps to Effective Program Evaluation Planning. Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhQRXKsJzb0
Newcomer, K. E., Hatry, H. P., & Wholey, J. S. (2015). Handbook of practical program
evaluation. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.
Norman, G. (2010). Likert scales, levels of measurement and the “laws” of statistics. Advances
in health sciences education, 15(5), 625-632.
Ortman, J., Velkoff, V., & Hogan, H. (2017). An aging nation: the older population in the United
States: population estimates and projection. Available from
https://www.census.gov/en.html
Schnake, M. E., & Dumler, M. P. (2003). Levels of measurement and analysis issues in
organizational citizenship behaviour research. Journal of occupational and
organizational psychology, 76(3), 283-301.
chevron_up_icon
1 out of 5
circle_padding
hide_on_mobile
zoom_out_icon
[object Object]