ordinal scale

a sequence of numbers that do not indicate magnitude 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.

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Psychology term of the day

January 29th 2025

mind reading

a form of alleged extrasensory perception in which an individual claims to have access to the thoughts of another person. With thought transference, it is one of the two main forms of telepathy.