Scale Types

Scale types refer to different ways of measuring and categorizing data. Nominal scales categorize data by labels or names without order (e.g., colors or brands). Ordinal scales rank data in a specific order, but distances between ranks aren’t precise (e.g., rankings or ratings). Interval scales have ordered data with equal intervals, but no true zero (e.g., temperature in Celsius). Ratio scales include all properties of interval scales but have a meaningful zero point, allowing for comparisons of magnitude (e.g., weight or income). Each scale type determines the kind of analysis that can be accurately performed on the data.