If a distribution is shown with a bar graph, what scale of measurement were the scores most likely measured on?

• A. Nominal or ordinal
• B. Ordinal or interval
• C. Interval or ratio
• D. Discrete or continuous

Answer: (A)

Bar graphs are used to display frequencies across categories, which fits data that come from nominal or ordinal scales. In this setup, each bar represents a distinct category with no assumed equal spacing between categories, so you’re comparing groups rather than measuring precise numeric differences. If the data were interval or ratio, you’d typically use a histogram (or a similar plot) where the values are on a continuous scale and the bars touch, reflecting the meaningful distances between numbers. So the distribution shown by a bar graph points to scores measured on a nominal or ordinal scale.