What phrase describes the relationship between the variable being measured and the numbers assigned on the measurement scale?

• A. Data type
• B. Measurement error
• C. Levels of measurement
• D. Scale validity

Answer: (C)

Levels of measurement describe how the numbers relate to the variable being measured. It captures what the numbers actually convey about the variable—whether they are merely labels, indicate order, reflect equal intervals, or represent a true zero. For example, nominal data use numbers as simple categories (no inherent order), ordinal data convey order, interval data have equal intervals but no true zero, and ratio data have both equal intervals and a true zero. This framework explains what kinds of operations and comparisons are meaningful for the data.

Data type is about whether data are numeric or categorical, not the meaning of the numbers for the variable. Measurement error concerns accuracy of the measurement, not how the numbers relate to the variable. Scale validity asks whether a scale measures the intended construct, not the basic relationship between variable and its numeric codes.