Scale

1. A system for ordering test responses in a progressive series, so as to measure a trait, ability, attirade, or the like. For example, an agreement scale used on an attitude survey might have seven response options ranging from strongly disagree (1) to strongly agree (7), with neither disagree nor agree (4) as the middle point.
   
2. A sequence of ordered values used as a reference in measuring a physical property (e.g., weight, temperature).
3. More generally, any test or other assessment instrument as a whole.
   

• 测度等级
  1. 一种系统，用于对渐进式序列中的测试反馈进行排序，以测量特质、能力、attirade等。例如，态度调查中使用的一致性量表可能有七个反馈选项，从非常不同意（1）到非常同意（7），中间点既不是同意也不是不同意（4）。
     
  2. 在测量物理特性（例如重量、温度）时用作参考的有序值序列。
     
  3. 更一般地，任何测试或其他作为一个整体存在的评估工具。
     

Ordinal scale A sequence of numbers that do not indicate magnirade or a true zero point but rather reflect a rank ordering on the attribute being measured. For example, an ordinal scale for the performance of a specific group of people on a particular test might use the number 1 to indicate the person who obtained the highest score, the number 2 to indicate the person who obtained the next highest score, and so on. It is important to note that an ordinal scale does not provide any information about the degree of difference between adjacent ranks (e.g., it is not clear what the actual point difference is between the rank 1 and 2 scores). Compare INTERVAL SCALE; NOMINAL SCALE; RATIO SCALE. Ordinal variable A variable whose possible values have a clear rank order. For example, attitude is an ordinal variable as it may be denoted with ordered points indicating increasing or decreasing values, such as 1 = strongly disagree, 2 = disagree, 3 = agree, and 4 = strongly agree. Values on an ordinal variable indicate that one data point is higher or lower than another but do not define the extent of the difference between them. Compare INTERVAL VARIABLE. 顺序等级 不指征magnirade或绝对零点的数字序列，而是反映所测量属性的排名顺序。例如，特定人群在特定测试中的表现的顺序量表可能使用数字 1 表示获得最高分的人，使用数字 2 表示获得第二高分数的人，依此类推。需要注意的是，顺序量表不提供有关相邻等级之间差异程度的任何信息（例如，不清楚等级 1 和 2 分数之间的实际分数差是多少）。比较等距等级、命名等级、比例等级。 顺序变量 一个变量，其可能的值具有明确的排名顺序。例如，态度是一个顺序变量，因为它可以用表示增加或减少值的有序点表示，例如 1 = 非常不同意、2 = 不同意、3 = 同意和 4 = 非常同意。顺序变量的值指示一个数据点高于或低于另一个数据点，但不定义它们之间的差异程度。比较等距等级。

Interval scale A scale marked in equal intervals so that the difference between any two consecutive values on the scale is equivalent regardless of the two values selected. Interval scales lack a true, meaningful zero point, which is what distinguishes them from RATIO SCALES. For example, Fahrenheit temperature uses an interval scale: The difference between 50 °F and 49 °F is the same as the difference between 40 °F and 39 °F, but temperature of 0 °F does not indicate that there is no temperature. See also INTERVAL DATA. Interval variable A variable that is measured using an INTERVAL SCALE. Because values on such a scale are equally spaced, the differences between values of an interval variable are meaningful. Compare ORDINAL VARIABLE. 等距等级 以相等间隔标记的刻度，以便无论选择哪个值，刻度上任何两个连续值之间的差值都是相等的。区间量表缺乏一个有意义的绝对零点，这就是它们与比率量表的区别。例如，华氏温度使用区间刻度：50 °F 和 49 °F 之间的差异与 40 °F 和 39 °F 之间的差异相同，但 0 °F 的温度并不表示没有温度。另请参阅等距数据。 等距变量 使用等距等级测量的变量。由于这种刻度上的值间隔相等，因此区间变量值之间的差异是有意义的。比较顺序变量。

Ratio scale A measurement scale having a true zero (i.e., zero on the scale indicates an absence of the measured attribute) and a constant ratio of values. Thus, on a ratio scale an increase from 3 to 4 (for example) is the same as an increase from 7 to 8. The existence of a true zero point is what distinguishes a ratio scale from an INTERVAL SCALE.

比例等级 具有绝对零点（即刻度上的零表示缺少测量属性）和恒定值比率的测度等级。因此，在比例等级上，从 3 增加到 4（例如）与从 7 增加到 8 相同。绝对零点的存在是比例等级与等距等级的区别。