An ordinal scale is a type of measurement that ranks items in a specific order based on a particular attribute. For example, in a survey, respondents might rate their satisfaction as very satisfied, satisfied, neutral, dissatisfied, or very dissatisfied. While these categories indicate a clear ranking, the differences between them are not necessarily equal. Ordinal scales are commonly used in various fields, including psychology, sociology, and market research. They help researchers understand preferences and attitudes by providing a structured way to compare responses. However, because the intervals between ranks are not defined, mathematical operations like addition or averaging are not appropriate.