Question

Using the table below, indicate which scale of measurement (nominal, ordinal, interval/ratio) is most appropriate for the variable indicated.

   

VARIABLE	TYPE OF MEASUREMENT SCALE
Alphabetical listing of students
Academic major
Number of minutes before and after an event
Fear of crime (a lot, some, none)
Speed (miles per hr.)
Years of marriage
Position when standing in line
Religion

Answer 1

At first we talk about data type. What is nominal, ordinal, interval and ratio type data? briefly I am saying that

1) Nominal data::this data has no order its only categorial.

2) Ordinal data:: this data has an order or hierarchy.

3) interval data:: this data is look like ordinal data but there is a meaningful difference between the categories.

4) ratio data:: this data type is same as interval data type. But there is a quantifiable difference between two data. And this scale starts Zero. Here Zero means no opinion.

now start our problem.

I) Alphabetical listing is ordinal data as having an order from "A" to "Z".

ii) Academic major indicates its position or rank. we can define as ordinal data. otherwise if it is just post of a person, we can say it's just nominal data.

iii) number of minutes before and after an event can not be negative and if its zero then we can say no event has been happened or no event will be happened. So this belongs to Ratio data.

iv) fear of crime is ordinal data as it has categories in order.

v) speed can not be negative. if its zero then we can say car is not moving. So its ratio type data.

vi) years of marriage is also ratio type data.

vii) position in line is Ordinal data because we can say 1st , 2nd etc position.

viii) Religion is simply just a nominal data. if we want to someone's religion then we ask are Hindu, Muslim or Christian like that. There is no order.