Ordinal scale

Definition

An ordinal scale is a level of measurement that arranges variables in a specific order but does not quantify the difference between them. It is commonly used for ranking and ordering.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Ordinal scales provide information about the relative position of items but not the magnitude of differences between them.
2. $$Mode$$ and $$Median$$ are appropriate measures of central tendency for ordinal data.
3. Ordinal data can be represented using bar charts or pie charts but not histograms.
4. Examples include rankings, such as customer satisfaction ratings or class grades (A, B, C).
5. Ordinal scales have meaningful order, but intervals between values are not equal or known.

Review Questions

• What type of information does an ordinal scale provide about variables?
• Which measures of central tendency are suitable for ordinal data?
• Can histograms be used to represent ordinal data?

Related terms

Nominal Scale: A level of measurement that categorizes data without any order or ranking among categories.

Interval Scale: A level of measurement where intervals between values are meaningful and equal, but there is no true zero point.

Ratio Scale: $$A$$ level of measurement with both equal intervals and an absolute zero point, allowing for statements about how many times greater one value is compared to another.