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Which of the following statements about ordinal data is true?

a. There are equal intervals between points on an ordinal scale.
b. Ordinal is a synonym for 'continuous'.
c. There is always an absolute zero on an ordinal scale.
d. Ordinal data have magnitude.

1 Answer

2 votes

Final answer:

'd. Ordinal data have magnitude.' The true statement about ordinal data is that it has magnitude because ordinal data can be ordered, which reflects that one value is greater than another. However, specific differences between ordinal values cannot be measured, unlike with interval or ratio data, and ordinal data does not have equal intervals or an absolute zero point.

Step-by-step explanation:

The correct answer to the question about ordinal data is 'd. Ordinal data have magnitude.'

Ordinal data is characterized by the fact that it can be ordered. This means that there is a ranking inherent to the data, where one value is higher, more, better, or in some other way greater in magnitude than another, even though the exact difference between those values isn't known.

As such, the intervals are not equal, ordinal is not a synonym for 'continuous', and there is not always an absolute zero on an ordinal scale. An example of ordinal data is a list of top five national parks based on popularity; they can be ranked from one to five without precise measurement of the differences between their rankings.

Ordinal data is similar to nominal data in that both are categorical, but ordinal data differs by having an ordered arrangement that nominal data does not possess. Unlike interval data, which also has a definite ordering but with meaningful, measurable differences and unlike ratio data, which adds a true zero point allowing for calculation of ratios, ordinal data cannot be used in calculations of means or differences.

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