Exercise No.

2
LEVELS OR SCALES OF MEASUREMENT
(Nominal, Ordinal, Interval, Ratio)

A researcher needs to know the measurement levels or scales of the

generated data to accurately measure its quantitative and qualitative
aspects. The measurement levels/scales are already conceived in the
preparation of research instruments. The measuring levels/scales used is
sometimes the basis for determining the appropriate statistical tools.
Stevens, as cited by Downie and Heath (1984), has devised four types of
levels/scales of measurement, namely: nominal, ordinal, interval and ratio.

1. Nominal level/scale
2. Ordinal level/scale
3. Interval level/scale
4. Ratio level/scale

1. NOMINAL LEVEL/SCALE
- Crudest form of measurement
- Numbers or symbols used to classify or categorize data into
groups to identify its nature or characteristics.
Examples:
Sex : M – Male F- Female

Civil Status : S – Single W - Widow

M - Married S – Separated

School personnel : 1 – teaching staff

0 – non-teaching staff

2. ORDINAL LEVEL/SCALE
- Improvement of nominal level/scale
- Is used to indicate the position of data like order or rank.
- Ordinal data is arranged from “ highest to lowest “ or “bottom
to top “ manner.
- You can use numbers for coding purposes

Examples:
Academic performance of students:
5 - Excellent
4 - Very good
3 - Good
2 - Average
1- Poor/failed

Instructional problems :
1 – not a problem
2 - least serious
3 – moderately serious
4 – very serious
 Job satisfaction :
1 – not satisfied
2 – least satisfied
3 – moderately satisfied
4 - very satisfied

3. INTERVAL LEVEL/SCALE
- Provides intervening space between variables to determine
the relationships or differences with one another.
- Possesses the properties of the nominal and ordinal
levels/scales
- Distances between any two numbers on the scale are known
- Does not have a stable starting point (an absolute zero)
- Adanza (1995) defined it as a unit of measurement such as
the difference between units is equal.
Examples:
IQ scores of 4 students ( 70, 140, 75 and 145)
• Here we can say that difference between 70 and 140
is the same as the difference between 75 and 145 but
we cannot claim that the second student is twice as
intelligent as the first.
Body temperature (Fahrenheit and Celsius scales)
Test scores of students

4. RATIO LEVEL/SCALE
- The highest level/scale of measurement because it has an
absolute zero value or true zero value.
- Birion and de Jose (1998) explained that the ratio level/scale
has all basic properties of the other levels/scales (nominal,
ordinal and interval ) plus an absolute zero point.
- We can classify it, place it in proper order
- We can also compare magnitudes
Examples:
Measuring height, weight, width, capacity, income, exam
scores etc.

SUMMARY CHARACTERISTICS OF LEVELS/SCALES OF

MEASUREMENT

Levels/scales Classify Order Equal Absolute

of Limits Zero
measurement
NOMINAL Yes No No No
ORDINAL Yes Yes No No
INTERVAL Yes Yes Yes No
RATIO Yes Yes Yes Yes

Objectives: At the end of the laboratory exercise, the students will be able
to:
1. Formulate thoroughly five (5) research questions which are interesting
to the members of the group to conduct/study for research.

2. Identify correctly from the research questions formulated, the dependent

and independent variables.

3. Formulate clearly 5 moderator variables that can be included in the study

under the dependent and independent variables identified. (list the
characteristics/attributes/nature of persons or objects)

4. Classify correctly the variables as to the levels/scales of measuring data

whether Nominal, Ordinal, Interval, and ratio.

5. Determine clearly which variables can be measured qualitatively and

quantitatively.

6. Discuss thoroughly among the members of the group the output of the
exercise with your facilitator.

GUIDE QUESTIONS:

1. What are the possible research questions that can be formulated

which are interesting to the members of the group to conduct/study
for research? (Formulate at least five (5) research questions)

2. From the research questions formulated by the group members,

identify which are the dependent and independent variables?

3. What are the moderator variables that can be formulated and

included in the study from the dependent and independent variables
identified? ( list the characteristics/attributes/nature of persons
or objects)

4. Which of these variables are Nominal, Ordinal, Interval or ratio

levels/scales of measuring data?
(Categorize the identified levels/scales of measurements of
moderator variables based on the characteristics/attributes/nature of
persons or objects).

5. Which characteristics/attributes of the variables can be measured

qualitatively and quantitatively?

*** Answer the activity with tables, as shown below. ***

Table 1:
Research Questions Independent Dependent
Variable Variable
1.
 2.

3.

4.

5.

Instructions for Table 2: On the blank space provided,

1. List the formulated moderator variables which can be included in the
study from the dependent and independent variables identified (taken
from the research questions).

2. Classify whether the variables are Nominal, Ordinal, Interval, ratio

scales of measurements. Categorize or classify the variables based on
its characteristics or attributes or nature.
Example : Nominal level of measurements
Sex : M – Male F - Female

3. Place a check mark ( ) for variables that can that can be measured
qualitatively and quantitatively. (refer to Exercise 1 regarding qualitative
and quantitative variables

Table 2:
Research Moderator Variables Levels/Scales of Measurements Classification of Variables
questions
Dependent Independent Nominal Ordinal Interval Ratio Qualitative Quantitative

3
 4

Laboratory Exercise No. 2

RUBRICS FOR LEVELS/SCALES OF MEASUREMENT

(SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION)

Student’s Name _____________________________________ Group & Section ____ Date ____

CRITERIA BEGINNING DEVELOPING ACCOMPLISHED EXEMPLARY SCORE

1 2 3 4
KNOWLEDGE
Discussion is 25% or Discussion is 50% Discussion is 75% Discussion is 100%
less organized and organized and correct organized and correct organized and correct
correct information is information is provided information is provided information is provided
provided related to related to the related to the related to the
the levels/scales of levels/scales of levels/scales of levels/scales of
measurements, measurements, measurements, measurements,
ORGANIZATION, moderator, moderator, dependent, moderator, dependent, moderator, dependent,
CONTENT AND dependent, independent, independent, independent,
DISCUSSION independent, qualitative & qualitative & qualitative &
qualitative & quantitative variables quantitative variables quantitative variables
quantitative variables and research questions and research and research questions
and research formulated. questions formulated. formulated.
questions
formulated.
Not prepared by 30% prepared but too 60% prepared and Totally prepared without
PREPAREDNESS
reading his/her notes often relies his/her occasionally relies undue reliance on
notes his/her notes his/her notes
ABILITY TO Unable to accurately Able to accurately Able to accurately Able to accurately
ANSWER answer questions answer few questions answer most answer almost all
QUESTIONS/ posed about the posed about the questions posed questions posed about
CLARIFICATIONS
topic/activity. topic/activity. about the the topic/activity.
(as speaker)
topic/activity.
SKILLS
Limited vocabulary, Ordinary word choice, Accurate word choice, Uses technical or
dialect is spoken dialect is spoken half dialect is spoken 25% scientific terminology
most of the time; the time of the of the entire appropriately and
USE OF grammatical errors discussion; use of discussion; no more correctly; straight
LANGUAGE impair scientific terminology than 2 major errors English is spoken
communication avoided; some serious and a few minor errors during the discussion;
grammatical errors but no major grammatical
do not impair errors
communication
ABILITY TO ASK Phrase correctly 25% Phrase correctly 50% Phrase correctly 75% Phrase correctly
QUESTIONS OR or less relevant relevant questions or relevant questions or relevant questions or
CLARIFICATIONS
questions or clarifications for the clarifications for the clarifications for the
(as listener)
clarifications for the speaker speaker speaker
speaker
 Able to dissect the Able to dissect the topic Able to dissect the Able to dissect the topic
topic (levels/scales of (levels/scales of topic ( levels/scales of ( levels/scales of
APPLICATION OF measurements, measurements, measurements, measurements,
CRITICAL moderator, moderator, dependent, moderator, dependent, moderator, dependent,
THINKING dependent, independent, qualitative independent, independent, qualitative
independent, and quantitative qualitative and and quantitative
qualitative and variables, research quantitative variables, variables, research
quantitative questions formulated ) research questions questions formulated )
variables, research with correct thought formulated ) with with correct thought
questions process 50% of the time correct thought process 100% of the
formulated) with process 75% of the time
correct thought time
process 25% of the
time
BEHAVIOR
LISTENS TO Sometimes does not Sometimes does not Listens intently but Listens intently. Does
THE appear to be appear to be listening has one distracting not make distracting
DISCUSSION listening and has a but is distracting noise or movements noise or movements
distracting noises or intently intently
movements
INTERACTION Speaker ignores the Speaker often ignores Speaker sometimes Speaker effectively
WITH LISTENERS listeners the listeners ignores the listeners interacts with listeners
(as speaker)
PUNCTUALITY Arrives beyond 30 Arrives 30 minutes late Arrives 15 minutes Always arrives on time
minutes for the class for the class late for the class for the class
TIME The Group extended The Group extended 5- The Group extended The Group completed
MANAGEMENT 11 - 20 minutes in 10 minutes in order to 5 minutes in order to the discussion within
order to complete the complete the discussion complete the the allotted time of 15
discussion discussion minutes
CLEANLINESS There are many There are few erasures, There are moderate There are no marks of
AND NEATNESS erasures, the the handwriting is erasures, the erasures, the
( Lab Manual and handwriting is not somewhat readable, the handwriting is handwriting is clearly
worksheets )
clearly readable, the whole output is not so readable, the whole and legibly readable,
whole output is not neat. output is moderately neatness of the output
neat. neat. is properly observe at
all times.
OUTPUT ( as individual )
Very poorly Poorly organized Moderately organized Very outstanding
organized answers to answers to items in answers to items in organization of answers
items in Tables 1 and Tables 1 and 2 Tables 1 and 2 to items in Tables 1 and
2 2

Many unanswered A number of Few incompletely Completely answered

items around 25% in incompletely answered answered items all items around 100%
ANSWERS TO Tables 1 and 2 with items around 50% in around 75% in Tables in Tables 1 and 2
TABLES 1 & 2 some errors in the Tables 1 and 2 with few 1 and 2 with moderate without errors in the
(in the Lab identification of errors in the errors in the identification of
Manual answer dependent, identification of identification of dependent,
sheet) independent, dependent, dependent, independent, nominal,
nominal, ordinal, independent, nominal, independent, nominal, ordinal, interval and
interval and ratio ordinal, interval and ordinal, interval and ratio scales of
scales of ratio scales of ratio scales of measurements, and
measurements, and measurements, and measurements, and identification of
identification of identification of identification of qualitative/quantitative
qualitative/quantitativ qualitative/quantitative qualitative/quantitative variables respectively.
e variables variables respectively. variables respectively
respectively.
OUTPUT ( as a group)
SUBMISSION Submitted summary Submitted summary of Submitted summary of Submitted summary of
OF SUMMARY of discussion 3 days discussion 2 days after discussion a day after discussion on time
or more after the the deadline the deadline
deadline
SUMMARY Contains 25% or less Contains 50% of the Contains 75% of the Contains all the items
of the items taken up items taken up during items taken up during taken up during the
during the discussion the discussion in one the discussion in one discussion in one (1)
in one (1) page (1) page (1) page page
HIGHEST POSSIBLE SCORE ( 56)
TOTAL SCORE ( ____ )/ 56 X 100 =

COMMENTS:

Evaluated by: _____________________________

Date:____________________________________