Scaling Techniques

1. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Scaling Techniques
By: PREETU

2. SCALE
 Concept, device, or procedure used in arranging,
measuring, or quantifying events, objects, or
phenomenon in any sequence.
 There are four measurement scales, namely:
a) Nominal scale
b) Ordinal scale
c) Interval scale
d) Ratio scale

3. NOMINAL SCALE
 In this scale, numbers are used to identify the
objects.
 Nominal scales are used for labeling variables,
without any quantitative value. “Nominal” scales
could simply be called “labels.”
 a sub-type of nominal scale with only two
categories (e.g. male/female)

4. ORDINAL SCALE
 The Ordinal scale is used for ranking in most
market research studies.
 Ordinal scale only permit the ranking items from
highest to lowest.
 Ordinal scales are used to ascertain the consumer
perceptions, preferences etc.

5. INTERVAL SCALE
 Interval scale is most powerful than the nominal
and ordinal scale .The distance given on the scale
represents equal distance on the property being
measured.
 Interval scale may tell us “How far the objects are
apart with respect to an attribute?”
 This means that the difference can be compared.

6. RATIO SCALE
 Ratio scale is special kind of internal scale that has
a meaningful zero point.
 With this scale, length, weight or distance can be
measured.

7. MEANING OF SCALING
Scaling describes the procedures of assigning
numbers to various degrees of opinion, attitude and
other concepts.
 This can be done in two ways viz.,
1. making a judgement about some characteristic of
an individual and then placing him directly on a
scale that has been defined in terms of that
characteristic and
2. constructing questionnaires in such a way that
the score of individual’s responses assigns him a
place on a scale.

8. IMPORTANT SCALING TECHNIQUES

9. RATING SCALES
 The rating scale involves qualitative description of a
limited number of aspects of a thing or of traits of a
person.
 When we use rating scales (or categorical scales), we
judge an object in absolute terms against some
specified criteria i.e., we judge properties of objects
without reference to other similar objects. These ratings
may be in such forms as “like-dislike”, “above average,
average, below average”, or other classifications with
more categories such as “like very much—like some
what—neutral—dislike somewhat—dislike very much”;
“excellent—good—average—below average—poor”,
“always—often—occasionally —rarely—never”, and so
on.

10. METHOD OF PAIRED COMPARISONS
 Under it the respondent can express his attitude by
making a choice between two objects.
 For example-a new flavour of soft drink and an
established brand of drink.

11. RANK ORDER SCALE
 In this method, respondents are required to rank
more than two objects or alternatives based on
some criteria.
 In this scale the procedure can be easily
understood by the respondent.

12. CONSTANT SUM SCALE
 In this method , the respondent is instructed to
allocate some constant sum(points) to various
features given, based on the importance of attribute
to the respondent.
 The only precaution to be taken while administering
this scale is that, if there are too many attributes,
the respondents will find it difficult, since lots of
mental energy is required to answer the scale.
 This scale can not be used effectively in case the
respondent is illiterate.

13. MULTI-DIMENSIONAL SCALING
 This is used to study consumer attitudes,
particularly with respect to perception and
preferences.
 These techniques help identify the product
attributes that are important to the customers and
measure their relative importance.
 This scaling is used to describe similarity and
preferences of brands.

14. LIKERT SCALE
 This consists of a series of statements concerning
an attitude object. Each statement have ‘five
points’, Agree and Disagree on the scale.
 They are also called summated scales, because
scores of individual items are summated to produce
a total score for the respondent.
 The Likert scale must contain an equal number of
favourable and unfavourable statements.