Measurement and Scaling

Measurement is the assignment of a number. Types:
 * Categorical - numbers are only labels, no numerical value, don't reflect the amount of the characteristic. Numbers assigned.
 * Ordinal - ranking scale where the numbers show the relative extent to which objects possess a characteristic. 1st, 2nd, 3rd.
 * Interval - has an absolute zero point, permits comparison between objects, non-fixed zero point and measurement unit not fixed, arbitrary. Performance rating out of 10.
 * Ratio - absolute zero point, meaningful to compute ratios of scale values. Eg: seconds to finish

Scaling is the placement of respondents on a continuum

Scaling types
 * Comparative - direct comparison of two stimulus objects
 * Paired
 * Comapare two, choose best.
 * Rank Order
 * Put the stimulus objects in an order/rank
 * Constant Sum
 * Total score of 100. Assigne scores to stimulus objects. Must add up to 100.
 * Q-sort and other
 * Non-comparative
 * Continuous
 * Place stimulus object on a continuous line with binary opinions/options. May have numbers.
 * Itemised rating scales
 * Words, pictures, numbers can be used to describe the scale.
 * Can choose to label each part of the scale. Or only the extremes.
 * things to consider:
 * balanced/unbalanced
 * even/odd umber of choices
 * force choice/allow neutral
 * degree(length/word choice) of description
 * visual stimulus
 * Can choose to not.
 * The more extreme the bipolar scales are, the less likely people will choose them. Vice versa.
 * Likert
 * Degree of agreement from 1 to 5.
 * Semantic Label
 * 7 point scale with bipolar labels
 * Stapel
 * Unipolar 10 point scale with +5 and -5 with no neurtal point