Final answer:
The correct order of scales from least to most specific information is nominal, ordinal, interval, ratio. Nominal scale categorizes without order, ordinal establishes rank, interval specifies differences without true zero, and ratio offers precise differences with true zero.
Step-by-step explanation:
The correct answer is option C. The order listing the scales of measurement from least to most specific information is: nominal, ordinal, interval, ratio. The nominal scale provides the least specific information because it categorizes data without any numeric or ordered value. The ordinal scale allows for some order but does not indicate the magnitude of differences between levels. The interval scale includes an order and specifies the differences between values, but lacks a true zero point. Finally, the ratio scale offers the most specific information, as it includes a true zero point and allows for the expression of ratios.
Examples of nominal data include categorizing soccer players by their favorite color, which is qualitative and unordered. Ordinal data can be observed in a ranking of soccer players by skill level, indicating order but not the exact difference between ranks. Interval data might encompass dates on a calendar where the differences between dates are measurable, but there is no absolute zero point. Ratio data could be the number of goals scored by a player, which is both ordered and has a true zero point, allowing for meaningful ratios (e.g., one player having scored twice as many goals as another).