Identify the level of measurement of the data and explain what is wrong with the given calculation. In a survey, the responses of respondents are identified as 1 for a "yes", 2 for a "no", 3 for a "maybe", and 4 for anything else. The average (mean) is calculated for 502 respondents and the result is 1.5 The data are at the square level of measurement. What is wrong with the given calculation? A. Such data are not counts or measures of anything, so it makes no sense to compute their average (mean). B. The true average (mean) is 2.1 C. Such data are not counts or measures of anything, so the average (mean) needs to be computed in a different way. D. There is nothing wrong with the given calculation.

The data are at the **nominal** level of measurement. The numbers assigned to "yes," "no," "maybe," and "anything else" are simply labels or categories. They don't represent any inherent order or measurable quantity.<br /><br />The correct answer is **A. Such data are not counts or measures of anything, so it makes no sense to compute their average (mean).**<br /><br />Calculating a mean implies that the differences between the numbers have meaning. For example, the difference between a "yes" (1) and a "maybe" (3) is 2, but this 2 doesn't represent a quantifiable difference in opinion. It's meaningless. Averaging these numbers is like averaging zip codes or social security numbers – the resulting number doesn't provide any useful information.<br />