There are four levels of measurement, which are:
1. Nominal level: This is the lowest level of measurement, where data is categorized into distinct categories or groups. The categories do not have any inherent order or numerical value. Examples of nominal level measurement include gender (male or female), eye color (blue, brown, green), or political affiliation (Democrat, Republican, Independent).
2. Ordinal level: At this level, data can be categorized into distinct groups, like in the nominal level, but the categories also have an inherent order or ranking. However, the differences between the categories are not necessarily equal or measurable. Examples of ordinal level measurement include ranking preferences (first, second, third), satisfaction levels (very satisfied, satisfied, dissatisfied), or educational levels (elementary, middle, high school).
3. Interval level: This level of measurement not only categorizes data into distinct groups but also has equal intervals between the categories. However, there is no true zero point or starting point. Examples of interval level measurement include temperature measured in Celsius or Fahrenheit, IQ scores, or years (e.g., 2000, 2001, 2002).
4. Ratio level: This is the highest level of measurement, where data is categorized into distinct groups with equal intervals between the categories, and there is a true zero point or starting point. This means that ratios between values are meaningful and can be compared. Examples of ratio level measurement include height, weight, time, or income.