Likert Scale in Online Surveys: Definition and Example

A likert scale is a widely used method for collecting quantitative data from respondents in surveys. It measures attitudes and opinions by allowing participants to rate how much they agree or disagree with a series of statements.

The Definition of Likert Scale

Likert scale uses a range of responses that are organized in degrees of agreement or disagreement, giving participants the opportunity to express their opinions in a more nuanced and detailed manner. A typical likert scale question uses a statement that participants are asked to rate on a scale of degrees of agreement or disagreement, usually ranging from 3 to 7 degrees, with the most common being 5 or 7 degrees, for example:

- Strongly disagree

- Disagree

- Neutral

- agree

- Strongly agree

The Likert Scale questions are used to obtain multiple observations on the same item and allow a wide range of participant responses to be summarized on a single scale. They are widely used in customer satisfaction, employee satisfaction, market research, event feedback and other fields.

Benefits of Likert Scale

1. Easy to use and understand: One of the benefits of the likert scale is that it is simple to use and understand. Respondents can easily identify where they stand on a particular issue by selecting their answers from the predetermined scale.

2. Provides a range of options: The multiple-choice format of the likert scale provides a range of options, which gives the respondent the flexibility to choose the most appropriate response. This increases the accuracy of the data collection process.

3. Enables quantitative analysis: Since the likert scale uses a numerical scale to measure responses, it enables researchers to perform quantitative analysis. This means that the responses can be statistically analyzed to identify trends and patterns in the data.

4. Increases reliability and validity: Likert scales are considered to be reliable and valid measures of attitudes and opinions. Reliability refers to the consistency of the results over time, while validity refers to the accuracy of the instrument in measuring what it is intended to measure.

5. Provides valuable insights: The insights gained from a likert scale survey can be used to make informed decisions about a particular issue. It can be used to measure customer satisfaction, employee engagement, and measure the impact of a policy change.

Limitations of Likert scale

While the likert scale is a popular tool used to measure attitudes and opinions, it has some limitations that researchers should be aware of. Below are some of the limitations of using a likert scale in research.

1.Subjective interpretation: The interpretation of likert scale responses can be subjective, as respondents may interpret the scale differently. This can result in a lack of consistency in the results.

2.Social desirability bias: Respondents may also be affected by social desirability bias, where they provide responses that they believe are more socially acceptable, rather than their true feelings. This can result in a lack of accuracy in the data.

3. Lack of context: Likert scale questions are often presented without context, which may influence the respondents' understanding and interpretation of the questions. This can lead to skewed or unreliable results.

Examples of Likert scale

1. Customer satisfaction survey: How satisfied are you with the quality of our product/service?

- Very satisfied

- Somewhat satisfied

- Neutral

- Somewhat dissatisfied

- Very dissatisfied

2. Employee engagement survey: On a scale of 1-5, how motivated are you to come to work each day?

- Not at all motivated

- Slightly motivated

- Moderately motivated

- Very motivated

- Extremely motivated

3. Health-related survey: How strongly do you agree that you have access to the healthcare services you need?

- Strongly agree

- Somewhat agree

- Neither agree nor disagree

- Somewhat disagree

- Strongly disagree

4. Educational survey: How would you rate the instructor's ability to explain complex concepts?

- Excellent

- Very good

- Good

- Fair

- Neither good nor poor

- Poor

- Very poor

5. Market research survey: To what extent does our product meet your expectations?

- Exceeds expectations

- Meets expectations

- Somewhat falls short of expectations

- Significantly falls short of expectations

- Very disappointed

6. Environmental survey: How important is protecting the environment to you personally?

- Extremely important

- Very important

- Moderately important

- Somewhat important

- Not at all important

Read also: 4 Tips in Crafting Effective Likert Scale Survey Questions

Conclusion

A likert scale survey provides an effective and efficient way to collect data from multiple respondents, allowing for understanding of multiple perspectives. The design must be carefully constructed and administered to ensure the reliability and validity of the results. When used correctly, the likert scale can prove to be a vital tool for researchers to gain insight into the attitudes of participants.