Intervallnivåskala

Intervallnivåskala, often translated as interval scale, is a type of measurement scale used in statistics and research. It possesses the properties of nominal and ordinal scales, meaning it has categories that are ordered, but with an added crucial characteristic: equal intervals between adjacent points. This means the difference between any two consecutive values on the scale is constant and meaningful. For example, temperature measured in Celsius or Fahrenheit is an interval scale. The difference between 20°C and 30°C is the same as the difference between 30°C and 40°C, which is 10°C.

However, a key limitation of interval scales is the absence of a true, absolute zero point. A true zero point indicates the complete absence of the quantity being measured. For instance, while 0°C represents a specific temperature, it does not mean the absence of all heat. In fact, 0°C is equivalent to 273.15 Kelvin, where 0 Kelvin signifies absolute zero. Due to the lack of a true zero, ratios cannot be meaningfully interpreted on an interval scale. For example, 20°C is not twice as hot as 10°C. Despite this, interval scales allow for addition, subtraction, and averaging, making them suitable for many statistical analyses, including calculating means and standard deviations.