Statistics used with ordinal measurements are commonly referred to as what?

Statistics used with ordinal measurements are commonly referred to as what?

• A. Non-parametric statistics
• B. Parametric statistics
• C. Descriptive statistics
• D. Inferential statistics

Answer: (A)

Ordinal measurements convey order but not equal spacing between categories. Because of that, analyses that rely on means, standard deviations, or normal-distribution assumptions aren’t appropriate. Non-parametric statistics fit ordinal data because they use ranks and require fewer assumptions about distribution or interval equality. They’re designed for inference based on order information rather than precise numerical differences, with common methods like rank-based tests and correlations. Descriptive statistics describe data but don’t specify the analysis approach; parametric statistics require interval or ratio data and distribution assumptions, so they aren’t the standard choice for ordinal data. Inferential statistics is a broad umbrella that includes both approaches, but the most fitting designation for working with ordinal data is non-parametric methods.

Ordinal measurements convey order but not equal spacing between categories. Because of that, analyses that rely on means, standard deviations, or normal-distribution assumptions aren’t appropriate. Non-parametric statistics fit ordinal data because they use ranks and require fewer assumptions about distribution or interval equality. They’re designed for inference based on order information rather than precise numerical differences, with common methods like rank-based tests and correlations. Descriptive statistics describe data but don’t specify the analysis approach; parametric statistics require interval or ratio data and distribution assumptions, so they aren’t the standard choice for ordinal data. Inferential statistics is a broad umbrella that includes both approaches, but the most fitting designation for working with ordinal data is non-parametric methods.