Editing Level of measurement (section)

{{short description|Distinction between nominal, ordinal, interval and ratio variables}}
{{Distinguish|Units of measurement|Level sensor|Level (logarithmic quantity)}}
{{Redirect|Nominal variable|the economics usage|Real versus nominal value (economics)}}

'''Level of measurement''' or '''scale of measure''' is a classification that describes the nature of information within the values assigned to [[dependent and independent variables|variables]].<ref name="Koch 2008">{{cite encyclopedia |editor-last=Kirch |editor-first=Wilhelm |encyclopedia=Encyclopedia of Public Health |volume=2 |pages=851–852 |publisher=Springer |date=2008 |isbn=978-1-4020-5613-0 |doi=10.1007/978-1-4020-5614-7_1971|chapter=Level of Measurement }}</ref> Psychologist [[Stanley Smith Stevens]] developed the best-known classification with four levels, or scales, of measurement: [[#Nominal level|nominal]], [[#Ordinal scale|ordinal]], [[#Interval scale|interval]], and [[#Ratio scale|ratio]].<ref name = "Koch 2008" /><ref name = "Stevens 1946">{{cite journal |last=Stevens |first=S. S. |s2cid=4667599 |author-link=Stanley Smith Stevens |title=On the Theory of Scales of Measurement |journal=[[Science (journal)|Science]] |volume=103 |issue=2684 |pages=677–680 |date=7 June 1946 |pmid=17750512 |doi=10.1126/science.103.2684.677 |bibcode=1946Sci...103..677S }}</ref> This framework of distinguishing levels of measurement originated in psychology and has since had a complex history, being adopted and extended in some disciplines and by some scholars, and criticized or rejected by others.<ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Michell | first1 = J. | year = 1986 | title = Measurement scales and statistics: a clash of paradigms | doi = 10.1037/0033-2909.100.3.398| journal = Psychological Bulletin | volume = 100 | issue = 3| pages = 398–407 }}</ref> Other classifications include those by Mosteller and [[John Tukey|Tukey]],<ref name = "Mosteller">{{cite book | last1 = Mosteller | first1 = Frederick | last2=Tukey | first2=John W.| title = Data analysis and regression : a second course in statistics | url = https://archive.org/details/dataanalysisregr0000most | publisher = Addison-Wesley Pub. Co | location = Reading, Mass | year = 1977 | isbn = 978-0201048544 }}</ref> and by Chrisman.<ref name="Chrisman">{{cite journal |last=Chrisman |first=Nicholas R. |title=Rethinking Levels of Measurement for Cartography |journal=Cartography and Geographic Information Science |volume=25 |issue=4 |date=1998 |pages=231–242 |issn=1523-0406 |doi=10.1559/152304098782383043 |bibcode=1998CGISy..25..231C }}{{subscription required|via=[[Taylor & Francis]]}}</ref>