How much you agree or disagree with _____?

How much you agree or disagree with _____? This type of question is known as a Likert scale. Likert scales are widely used to measure opinions, perceptions and behaviors on a one-dimensional topic. They yield a greater degree of nuance than a simple “yes/no” or other type of binary question.

In yesterdays Curiosity Tank class, called SURVEY/SCREEN, we had a rich conversation about them. We discussed dozens of possibilities. For example:

Level of Awareness
1 – Not at all aware
2 – Slightly aware
3 – Somewhat aware
4 – Moderately aware
5 – Extremely aware

Note the numbers assigned to each potential response. These enable a researcher to apply and quantify meaning to the answers.

Likert scales best practices:

• Use either a 5 or 7 pt scale consistently throughout a survey.

• Make sure response options are equally distributed across the 5 or 7 pt range.

• Make sure the positive and negative sides of the scale remain consistent throughout a survey.

Here is a cheatsheet I from my SURVEY/SCREEN class. I hope you find it helpful when creating your own LIkert scales.