There are four main types of scales used in measurement: nominal, ordinal, interval, and ratio. The nominal scale categorizes data without any order, such as gender or colors. The ordinal scale ranks data in a specific order but does not specify the distance between ranks, like a satisfaction survey. The interval scale measures data with equal distances between values but lacks a true zero point, such as temperature in Celsius. Finally, the ratio scale has all the properties of the interval scale, but it includes a true zero, allowing for meaningful comparisons, like weight or height.