In the context of variables and measurement scales, categorizing automobiles as American-made or foreign-made is an example of a(n) _____ scale.

A) ratio
B) ordinal
C) interval
D) nominal

Categorizing automobiles as American-made or foreign-made is an example of a nominal scale, where objects or individuals are categorized based on a characteristic or attribute, in this case, country of origin. Nominal scales do not have a numerical value associated with them and are considered the lowest level of measurement.