What type of data is collected from rating scales (e.g., 1 to 5)?

Rating scales, such as those that range from 1 to 5, are classified as ordinal data because they represent a clear order or ranking among the responses. In this context, the numbers correspond to levels of satisfaction or agreement, with higher numbers indicating greater levels of the measured attribute.

Ordinal data is characterized by the ability to determine a rank order of responses, which allows researchers to infer that a rating of 4 is better than a rating of 3, for example. However, the distances between the ratings are not necessarily equal. This means that while we can say that a rating of 5 is higher than a rating of 4, we cannot make precise statements about the differences between these ratings in terms of magnitude—for example, saying that the difference between a 1 and a 2 is the same as that between a 4 and a 5 is not justified.

This differentiates ordinal data from interval data, where the intervals between values are equal and meaningful. Continuous data refers to measurable quantities that can take on any value within a range, while nominal data involves categories without a specific order. Thus, rating scales inherently provide information about order but lack the equal intervals needed for classification as interval data.