Likert Scales

TL;DR

• A common survey format that measures attitudes, opinions, or behaviors using ordered agreement/disagreement options.
• Typical implementations include 5-point and 7-point response sets for greater or finer granularity.
• Easy to administer and interpret but subject to response bias and response inconsistency.

Definition

Likert scales are a type of psychometric scale commonly used in survey research to measure respondents’ attitudes, opinions, and behaviors. Named after American social psychologist Rensis Likert, these scales consist of a series of statements or questions to which respondents are asked to indicate their level of agreement or disagreement.

Explanation

Likert scales present respondents with statements or questions and a fixed set of ordered response options that capture the degree of agreement or disagreement. They are widely used in social and behavioral research because they provide a systematic way of measuring attitudes and opinions. Likert scales are easy to understand and use, and they allow researchers to quickly and accurately gather data from large numbers of respondents.

Examples

5-point scale

A 5-point Likert scale presents respondents with five response options ranging from “strongly agree” to “strongly disagree.” Example item:

• Statement: “I feel satisfied with my job.”
• Response options:
  • Strongly agree
  • Agree
  • Neutral
  • Disagree
  • Strongly disagree

7-point scale

A 7-point Likert scale offers more response options than the 5-point scale, adding finer distinctions such as “very strongly agree” and “very strongly disagree.” Example item:

• Statement: “I am confident in my ability to perform well in my job.”
• Response options:
  • Very strongly agree
  • Strongly agree
  • Agree
  • Neutral
  • Disagree
  • Strongly disagree
  • Very strongly disagree

Use cases

• Widely used in social and behavioral research to measure attitudes and opinions.

Notes or pitfalls

• Response bias: respondents may not accurately reflect their true attitudes or opinions due to social desirability or other factors.
• Response inconsistency: respondents may not consistently use the same response option across different items on the scale.
• Despite these limitations, Likert scales remain a popular and effective tool for measuring attitudes and opinions in survey research.

Related terms

• Psychometric scale
• Survey research
• Rensis Likert