What defines ordinal measurement?

Ordinal measurement is characterized by the assignment of numbers to items based on their rank order. This means that in ordinal measurement, the numerical values indicate the position of the items in relation to each other. For example, in a race, first place is assigned a lower number than second place, indicating the ranking of the competitors. However, while ordinal measurement provides a sense of order, it does not quantify the exact differences between the ranks, which is an important distinction from other types of measurement.

In contrast, other options are associated with different measurement scales. For instance, comparative analysis of distances relates more to interval or ratio measurements, where the exact differences between values are significant. Attaching labels is characteristic of nominal measurement, where items are categorized without any quantitative relationship. Quantifying measurable traits typically refers to interval or ratio scales, which involve not only order but also specific amounts. Therefore, the focus on rank order is what distinctly defines ordinal measurement.