Question

After measuring two individuals, a researcher can say that the score for one individual is larger that the score for the other, but it impossible to say how much larger. Would this scale fo measurement be ordinal?

Answer 1

Hello Sir/Mam

Yes, this scale for measurement is ordinal.

We have various scales of management:

1. Nominal
2. Ordinal
3. Interval
4. Ratio

Each of the said scales facilitates different types of operations:

1. Nominal - Classification, using which we can calculate only mode and we can't compare which on of the two is greater or which one is smaller.
2. Ordinal - Comparison, i.e. greater than or smaller than, but can't tell the magnitude of greatness or smallness.
3. Interval - We can compare as well as tell the magniitude of difference.
4. Ratio - Same as Interval, we can compare as well as tell the magniitude of difference.

Hence, after measuring two individuals, if researchers can compare the scores of two individuals and tell that one is larger and other one is smaller, but can't tell "how much larger", i.e. the magnitude of the difference, hence, it is Ordinal Scale.

We prefer using Ranks in Ordinal Scale so as to facilitate comparison, and to facilitate calculation of median.

I hope this solves your doubt.

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