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The interpretability of an instrument like questionnaire is the ease
with which the researcher is able to interpret the response from the
subjects or respondents or participants.

Summarised Overview

Scaling techniques provide a structured way to compare and measure different
options or attributes. Scaling describes the procedure for assigning numbers to various
degrees of opinion, attitude, and other concepts. The scaling technique facilitates the
measurement of human behaviour and attitude which is based on four pillars- distance,
order, description, and origin. Comparative scaling techniques and non-comparative
scaling techniques can be used for scaling objects. Comparative scales provide a direct
comparison of different objects under study. In a non-comparative technique, the scale
value of one element is determined without comparing it to another element.

The researcher should ensure that the instrument is designed in such a way that it
offers reliability, validity and practicality. Reliability is the consistency with which a
measurement instrument measures a given characteristic or concept. The validity of a
measurement instrument indicates the extent to which the instrument or scale tests or
measures what it is supposed to measure. Practicality highlights that the measures must
be economical, convenient and interpretable. In order to provide valid results the scales
used in the instrument should have reliability, validity and practicality.

Assignments

1. Identify the scale (nominal, ordinal, interval, ratio) to be used in the following
cases:
◆ To scale gender as male, female, others.
◆ To rank students based on marks secured by them for exam.
◆ To measure the average weight of students in a class.

2. You want to measure the level of stress experienced by individuals in a high pres-
sure work environment. Which scaling technique would be most appropriate in this
context? Justify your choice.

3. Develop a question using rank order scale for a study to identify the favourite sub-
ject of your respondent.
4. Imagine you are evaluating customer satisfaction for a product on a scale from 1 to
5, with 1 being “Very unsatisfied” and 5 being “Very satisfied.” Which scale type
(nominal, ordinal, interval, or ratio) would this fall under? Justify your answer.

5. A study of consumer preferences about two brands of cars- Toyota and BMW is
conducted. Develop a question using paired comparison scale on various factors
influencing customer preferences.

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