People in a grocery store are asked to sample three types of energy drinks and then indicate which one they liked best and which they liked least (i.e., they rank ordered the drinks). The dependent variable in this study is measured on a(n) ______ scale.
A) interval
B) ratio
C) ordinal
D) nominal

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The dependent variable is rank ordered, meaning that it is measured using an ordinal scale. The participants are not providing numerical values or measurements, but rather are indicating preferences or rankings. Therefore, nominal and ratio scales are not appropriate, and an interval scale is not necessary because the differences between the ranks are not quantitatively meaningful.

People in a Grocery Store Are Asked to Sample Three