Likert scale

Likert scale is a type of psychometric scale commonly involved in research that employs questionnaires. It is the most widely used approach to scaling responses in survey research, such that the term (Likert scale) is often used interchangeably with rating scale, although there are other types of rating scales.

The scale is named after Rensis Likert, who published a report describing its use. Likert distinguished between a scale proper, which emerges from collective responses to a set of items (usually eight or more), and the format in which responses are scored along a range.

History

Rensis Likert, a psychologist, invented the Likert scale during his studies of human attitudes. The first time it was used was in his 1932 thesis, "A Technique for the Measurement of Attitudes."

Format

A Likert scale assumes that the strength/intensity of an attitude is linear, i.e., on a continuum from strongly agree to strongly disagree, and makes the assumption that attitudes can be measured. Respondents may be offered a choice of five to seven or even nine pre-coded responses with the neutral point being neither agree nor disagree.

Scoring and analysis

The traditional way to report on a Likert scale is to sum the scores for each respondent. The problem with this approach is that it assumes the 'distance' from each point to the next is equivalent, also from strongly disagree to disagree may not be the same as from neutral to agree.

Criticism

The Likert scale has been criticized on several grounds. The words and phrases used can be interpreted differently by different people. It also assumes that the 'distance' between each response is the same.

See also

• Guttman scale
• Semantic differential
• Thurstone scale

References

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