Measurement and Scaling: Fundamentals and Comparative Scaling.

The assignment of numbers or other symbols to characteristics of objects according to certain prespecified rules:

• Scaling

• Measurement

• Description

• Order

The unique labels or descriptors that are used to designate each value of the scale:

• Description

• Order

• Distance

• Scaling

The relative sizes or positions of the descriptor:

• Description

• Scaling

• Distance

• Order

Absolute differences between the scale descriptors are known and may be expressed in units:

• Description

• Scaling

• Distance

• Order

The scale has a unique or fixed beginning or true zero point:

• Description

• Origin

• Distance

• Order

In this Scale of Measurement numbers identify and classify objects:

• Nominal

• Ordinal

• Interval

• Ratio

In this Scale of Measurement numbers indicate the relative positions of the objects but not the magnitude of differences between them:

• Ordinal

• Nominal

• Interval

• Ratio

In this Scale of Measurement differences between objects can be compared; zero point is arbitrary:

• Nominal

• Interval

• Ordinal

• Ratio

In this Scale of Measurement Zero point is fixed; ratios of scale values can be computed:

• Ratio

• Interval

• Ordinal

• Nominal

Noncomparative techniques consist of:

• Likert and semantic scales.

• Continuous and itemized rating scales.

• Continuous and staple scales.

• Semantic differential and itemized rating scales.