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Likert Scale Questionnaire: Examples & Analysis

Saul Mcleod, PhD

Editor-in-Chief for Simply Psychology

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Saul Mcleod, PhD., is a qualified psychology teacher with over 18 years of experience in further and higher education. He has been published in peer-reviewed journals, including the Journal of Clinical Psychology.

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Olivia Guy-Evans is a writer and associate editor for Simply Psychology. She has previously worked in healthcare and educational sectors.

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Various kinds of rating scales have been developed to measure attitudes directly (i.e., the person knows their attitude is being studied).  The most widely used is the Likert scale (1932).

In its final form, the Likert scale is a five (or seven) point scale that is used to allow an individual to express how much they agree or disagree with a particular statement.

The Likert scale (typically) provides five possible answers to a statement or question that allows respondents to indicate their positive-to-negative strength of agreement or strength of feeling regarding the question or statement.

I believe that ecological questions are the most important issues facing human beings today.

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.

For example, each of the five (or seven) responses would have a numerical value that would be used to measure the attitude under investigation.

Examples of Items for Surveys

In addition to measuring statements of agreement, Likert scales can measure other variations such as frequency, quality, importance, and likelihood, etc.

Analyzing Data

The response categories in the Likert scales have a rank order, but the intervals between values cannot be presumed equal. Therefore, the mean (and standard deviation) are inappropriate for ordinal data (Jamieson, 2004).

Statistics you can use are:

• Summarize using a median or a mode (not a mean as it is ordinal scale data ); the mode is probably the most suitable for easy interpretation.
• Display the distribution of observations in a bar chart (it can’t be a histogram because the data is not continuous).

Critical Evaluation

Likert Scales have the advantage that they do not expect a simple yes / no answer from the respondent but rather allow for degrees of opinion and even no opinion at all.

Therefore, quantitative data is obtained, which means that the data can be analyzed relatively easily.

Offering anonymity on self-administered questionnaires should further reduce social pressure and thus may likewise reduce social desirability bias.

Paulhus (1984) found that more desirable personality characteristics were reported when people were asked to write their names, addresses, and telephone numbers on their questionnaire than when they were told not to put identifying information on the questionnaire.

Limitations

However, like all surveys, the validity of the Likert scale attitude measurement can be compromised due to social desirability.

This means that individuals may lie to put themselves in a positive light.  For example, if a Likert scale was measuring discrimination, who would admit to being racist?

Bowling, A. (1997). Research Methods in Health . Buckingham: Open University Press.

Burns, N., & Grove, S. K. (1997). The Practice of Nursing Research Conduct, Critique, & Utilization . Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders and Co.

Jamieson, S. (2004). Likert scales: how to (ab) use them . Medical Education, 38(12) , 1217-1218.

Likert, R. (1932). A Technique for the Measurement of Attitudes. Archives of Psychology , 140, 1–55.

Paulhus, D. L. (1984). Two-component models of socially desirable responding . Journal of personality and social psychology, 46(3) , 598.

Further Information

• History of the Likert Scale
• Essential Elements of Questionnaire Design and Development

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Using Likert Scales in Research Papers: An Example

As researchers in the social sciences, it is important to understand and utilize various data collection techniques for our research papers. One of the most commonly used methods of measuring responses in survey research studies is through Likert scales. This article will provide an overview of what a Likert scale is and how it can be used effectively in research papers as well as examples from published literature that highlight its use in practice. The implications for using this type of data gathering tool are discussed along with key considerations when designing surveys utilizing this method. Finally, we conclude by providing recommendations on best practices regarding usage so that researchers may optimize their results accordingly.

I. Introduction to Likert Scales

Ii. advantages of using likert scales in research papers, iii. types of likert scale measurement options, iv. developing a valid and reliable questionnaire with the use of a likert scale, v. practical considerations for creating an effective survey using a likert scale, vi. examples from published literature utilizing thelikertscale methodology, vii conclusion: the benefits of employing the use of a liker tscale.

Likert scales are widely used in psychological and social sciences research to measure people’s attitudes, feelings, or beliefs. They can also be applied to measure consumer preferences for products or services. The scale comprises a series of items that range from strongly agree (1) through neutral (3) to strongly disagree (5).

The advantage of Likert scales is that they allow respondents to select one option out of many different choices, making it easy for researchers to interpret the results quickly and accurately. This makes them an ideal tool when measuring how individuals feel about certain topics over time as well as more complex evaluations such as market segmentation.

• For Example:

A study by Kajtazi et al., which examined public opinion on climate change in Kosovo using a five-point Likert scale found that the majority agreed with the statement “Climate change is happening”; 43% chose 5/Strongly Agree, 42% 4/Agree, 13% 3/Neutral, 1 % 2/Disagree and 0 % 1/ Strongly Disagree. [1] .

The Appeal of Likert Scales

• Easy to use & understand
• Flexible & reliable data capture method
• High degree of detail for complex topics

Likert scales are a popular type of survey tool, widely used in research papers. Essentially, they involve participants responding to statements by choosing from pre-defined responses – typically ranging from ‘Strongly Agree’ or ‘Very Much Disagree’. This allows researchers to gain detailed insights into the opinions and beliefs that their study population holds on particular issues.

Accuracy And Reliability Of Data Captured By Likert Scale Surveys

Choosing the Best Likert Scale Measurement Options

When it comes to determining which type of Likert scale is best for your research, there are several different options available. Understanding each option can help you make an informed decision that will provide accurate and meaningful results.

One popular method is using a fixed response format or closed-ended survey question structure in order to receive predetermined responses from participants. This approach utilizes multiple choice questions with predefined answers such as “strongly agree”, “agree”, “neutral”, “disagree” or “strongly disagree” . A good example of this kind of methodology can be seen in Brunner et al.’s 2018 paper titled “A Quantitative Analysis on the Relationship between Student Self-Efficacy and Academic Achievement”. In this study they used a 5 point Likert scale ( 1=Strongly Disagree; 2=Disagree; 3 = Neutral; 4=Agree ; 5= Strongly Agree ) to assess participant’s self-efficacy levels.

Another commonly used approach involves having respondents rate their level of agreement on items without specific labels attached (e.g., no response options such as strongly agree etc.). Instead the researcher allows participants free rein over how they would like to respond by selecting an answer along a continuum ranging from 0–10. As Williams et al.(2015) did in their paper entitled “Exploring Problematic Online Gaming Behavior”, researchers may also opt for more elaborate scales including extended categories such as extreme disagreement down through mild disagreement then neutral all the way up to strong agreement.

• 0 – Extreme Disagreement
• 1 – Mild Disagreement

The development of a valid and reliable questionnaire using a Likert scale is essential for data collection. Before diving into the construction of such an instrument, it is important to understand what validity and reliability mean in the context of survey design. Validity reflects how accurately the survey measures what it intends to measure; whereas reliability refers to whether results from this questionnaire remain consistent over time.

To construct a valid and reliable questionnaire with the use of a Likert scale, two key steps should be taken: (1) Selecting appropriate items that are related directly to one’s research objectives or questions and (2) Choosing proper response scales for each item so as not to bias respondents’ answers. As demonstrated by an example (Lee et al., 2020) , when creating statements that represent different levels on a 5-point rating scale, researchers must make sure they use language that does not favor either side of the spectrum too heavily:

• Strongly disagree

Getting Started

The first step in creating an effective survey using a Likert scale is to plan out the questions. Careful consideration should be given to selecting questions that are pertinent, accurate and unbiased. Once you have established what topics your survey will cover, then it is important to decide on how many points will make up your Likert Scale. The most common scales range from three-point (positive/neutral/negative) to five or seven-points which allow for more nuance when grading responses.

• For example, when evaluating customer satisfaction with a product or service, five point scales offer finer gradation than three point scales.

It’s also important to structure the wording of each question in such way that participants can easily understand them and provide meaningful answers within the framework of the rating scale being used. According to research conducted by Shearer & Hill (2018), surveys created without clear language may yield invalid data as some respondents may not fully comprehend the purpose of each item’s evaluation criteria.

• In this case study involving evaluations from athletic trainers about their career development programs , they found that organizing items into statements made comprehension easier for responders.

Published Literature Using Likert Scale Methodology Likert scale methodology has been used by researchers to measure attitudes, feelings, and opinions in a variety of contexts. Here we review some examples from the published literature:

• Cheng et al. (2017) utilized a five-point Likert scale to assess how satisfied employees are with their jobs.
• Thompson and Smith (2018) developed an eight-item survey that measured students’ perceptions of their university experience using a seven-point Likert scale.

In another study, Mclaren et al.(2015) used four scales ranging between one to nine points on the Likert scale to evaluate responses about healthcare professionals’ awareness and attitudes towards end of life care for patients diagnosed with cancer. Results showed that nurses had more positive outlooks towards palliative care compared with physicians or other medical staff members.

This demonstrates just two ways in which this methodological approach can be implemented in empirical research settings as it is adaptable enough across different disciplines depending upon what context one wishes to explore further. As such, it has continued relevance among social scientists due its broad applications as well as relative ease of use when constructing surveys or questionnaires for large sample sizes.

The use of a Likert scale provides numerous benefits to researchers and participants alike. One key benefit is the ability to obtain reliable data from respondents in an efficient manner, as well as allowing for clear responses that can be easily measured and compared.

• Accuracy: With its simple design, a Likert scale eliminates any guesswork or uncertainty around participant feedback; instead, it offers them specific options through which they can accurately express their opinion.

This ensures that results are valid and consistent with actual opinions. For example, one research paper examining customer satisfaction used a 5-point likert scale along with open-ended questions [8] . This allowed for detailed analysis of customer preferences in addition to numerical ratings on how satisfied customers were overall with service quality.

• Robustness: A single item on its own does not provide enough information about respondent attitudes – this is where the power of using multiple items comes into play when employing a liker tScale survey method.

By combining several individual components together (i..e., multiple questions), researchers can gain better insight into complex issues such as employee engagement or organizational culture among other topics by obtaining comprehensive answers from respondents across different levels within an organization [7]. Therefore, collecting robust data allows organizations make more informed decisions about how best to improve workplace policies and procedures going forward while taking feedback seriously at all times.

Likert Scale

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Likert-type scale ; Rating scale

Likert scaling is one of the most fundamental and frequently used assessment strategies in social science research (Joshi et al. 2015 ). A social psychologist, Rensis Likert ( 1932 ), developed the Likert scale to measure attitudes. Although attitudes and opinions had been popular research topics in the social sciences, the measurement of these concepts was not established until this time. In a groundbreaking study, Likert ( 1932 ) introduced this new approach of measuring attitudes toward internationalism with a 5-point scale – (1) strongly approve, (2) approve, (3) undecided, (4) disapprove, and (5) strongly disapprove. For example, one of nine internationalism scale items measured attitudes toward statements like, “All men who have the opportunity should enlist in the Citizen’s Military Training Camps.” Based on the survey of 100 male students from one university, Likert showed the sound psychometric properties (i.e., validity and...

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Yamashita, T., Millar, R.J. (2021). Likert Scale. In: Gu, D., Dupre, M.E. (eds) Encyclopedia of Gerontology and Population Aging. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-22009-9_559

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What is a Likert Scale Survey Question & How to Use It

• Features , Survey Tips

In all likelihood, you have used a Likert scale (or something you’ve called a Likert scale) in a survey before.

It might surprise you to learn that Likert scales are a very specific type of survey question, and what you have been calling “Likert” may be something entirely different.

Not to worry — researchers that have been doing surveys for years still get their definitions confused. In fact, many researchers don’t even agree on the best way to report on the numeric values in a Likert scale.

To try and clear up any confusion, we’ll take a look at the traditional and, in our opinion, most valuable way to use Likert scales and report on them using survey software.

What is a Likert Scale vs. a Likert Item

A “Likert scale” is the sum of responses to several Likert items. These items are usually displayed with a visual aid, such as a series of radio buttons or a horizontal bar representing a simple scale.

A “Likert item” is a statement that the respondent is asked to evaluate in a survey. In the example below, the statement, “The checkout process was easy” is a Likert item. The table as a whole is the Likert scale.

Historic Trivia: The Likert scale question itself was invented by the educator and psychologist Rensis Likert in his thesis at Columbia University. You never know when this might come up in Market Research Trivia night at your local bar.

Here’s an easy way to remember the distinction: the “scale” in “Likert scale” refers to the total sum of all Likert items in the question, not the 1-5 range you see associated with each item. In our example above, the scale would be 4 to 20.

In a “good” Likert scale, the scale is balanced on both sides of a neutral option, creating a less biased measurement. The actual scale labels, as well as the numeric scale itself, may vary.

Our example is a nearly perfect Likert scale. It has one potential flaw, which we’ll discuss later.

So, given this information, when should you use a Likert scale?

To answer that, it’s important to look at how you’d report and analyze the data for this question type. Let’s take a look.

Reporting on Likert Scales

The traditional way to report on a Likert scale is to sum the values of each selected option and create a score for each respondent. This score is then used to represent a specific trait — satisfied or dissatisfied, for example — particularly when used for sociological or psychological research.

This method of reporting is also quite useful for evaluating a respondent’s opinion of important purchasing, product, or satisfaction features. In these cases the scores can be used to create a chart of the distribution of opinion across the population.

For further analysis, you can cross tabulate the score mean with contributing factors.

Important tip: for the score to have meaning, each item in the scale should be closely related to the same topic.

In a customer satisfaction survey , for example, you should ask all your questions about the product together, all the questions about checkout together, and so on.

In the example Likert scale above, the third option, “The software solved my needs,” is actually slightly out of place, as it doesn’t relate to the purchasing or checkout process, which is the intended topic of the survey section.

Ideally in a Likert scale question all of the items will be categorically similar so that the summed score becomes a reliable measurement of the particular behavior or psychological trait you are measuring.

That trait might be overall happiness, or the likelihood to vote for a particular political party, but in either case you must pick a topic and stick with it to get accurate data.

If you have an item on the scale that doesn’t fit, the total score for the respondent becomes potentially polluted and you’ll end up spending a great deal of time deciphering the results!

When to Use Likert Scales

This is a very useful question type when you want to get an overall measurement of sentiment around a particular topic, opinion, or experience and to also collect specific data on factors that contribute to that sentiment.

You should not use this form of question (or at least not call it a Likert scale) when the items in the question are unrelated to each other, or when the options are not presented in the form of a scale.

As with all other rating and scale questions, we encourage you not to mix scales within your surveys. Choose a particular scale (3 point, 5 point, 7 point, etc.) and use it as your standard through the survey. This will cut down on potential confusion and reduce survey fatigue. It also allows for accurate comparisons within and between your data sets.

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Likert scale interpretation: How to analyze the data with examples

• January 10, 2022
• 10 min read
• Best practice

What are Likert scale and Likert scale questionnaires?

Likert scale examples: the types and uses of satisfaction scale questions, likert scale interpretation: analyzing likert scale/type data, how to use filtering and cross tabulation for your likert scale analysis, 1. compare new and old information to ensure a better understanding of progress, 2. compare information with other types of data and objective indicators, 3. make a visual representation: help the audience understand the data better, 4. focus on insights instead of just the numbers, how to analyze likert scale data, likert scale interpretation example overview, interpreting likert scale results, explore useful surveyplanet features for data analyzing.

Likert scaling consists of questions that are answerable with a statement that is scaled with 5 or 7 options that the respondent can choose from.

Have you ever answered a survey question that asks to what extent you agree with a statement? The answers were probably: strongly disagree, disagree, neither disagree nor agree, agree, or strongly agree. Well, that’s a Likert question.

Regardless of the name—a satisfaction scale, an agree-disagree scale, or a strongly agree scale—the format is pretty powerful and a widely used means of survey measurement, primarily used in customer experience and employee satisfaction surveys.

In this article, we’ll answer some common questions about Likert scales and how they are used, though most importantly Likert scale scoring and interpretation. Learn our advice about how to benefit from conclusions drawn from satisfaction surveys and how to use them to implement changes that will improve your business!

A Likert scale usually contains 5 or 7 response options—ranging from strongly agree to strongly disagree—with differing nuances between these and a mandatory mid-point of neither agree nor disagree (for those who hold no opinion). The Likert-type scale got its name from psychologist Rensis Likert, who developed it in 1932.

Likert scales are a type of closed-ended question, like common yes-or-no questions, they allow participants to choose from a predefined set of answers, as opposed to being able to phrase their opinions in their own words. But unlike yes-or-no questions, satisfaction-scale questions allow for the measurement of people’s views on a specific topic with a greater degree of nuance.

Since these questions are predefined, it’s essential to include questions that are as specific and understandable as possible.

Answer presets can be numerical, descriptive, or a combination of both numbers and words. Responses range from one extreme attitude to the other, while always including a neutral opinion in the middle.

A Likert scale question is one of the most commonly used in surveys to measure how satisfied a customer or employee is. The most common example of their use is in customer satisfaction surveys , which are an integral part of market research .

Are satisfaction-scale questions the best survey questions?

Maybe you’ve answered one too many customer satisfaction surveys with Likert scales in your lifetime and now consider them way too generic and bland. But, the fact is they are one of the most popular types of survey questions.

First of all, they are pretty appealing to respondents because they are easy to understand and do not require too much thinking to answer.

And, while binary (yes-or-no) questions offer only two response options (i.e., if a customer is satisfied with your products and services or not), satisfaction-scale questions provide a clearer understanding of customers’ thoughts and opinions.

By using well-prepared additional questions, questions about particular products or service segments can be asked. That way, getting to the bottom of customer dissatisfaction is possible, making it easier to find a way to address their complaints and improve their experience.

Such surveys enable figuring out why customers are satisfied with one product but not another. This empowers the recognition of products and service areas that customers are confident in while helping to find ways to improve others.

When it comes to analyzing and interpreting survey scale results, Likert questions are helpful because they provide quantitative data that is easy to code and interpret. Results can also be analyzed through cross-tabulation analysis (we’ll get back to that later).

Likert questions can be used for many kinds of research. For example, determine the level of customer satisfaction with the latest product, assess employee satisfaction, or get post-event feedback from attendees after a specific event.

Questions can take different forms, but the most common is the 5-point or 7-point Likert scale question. There are 4-point and even 10-point Likert scale questions as well.

How to choose from these options?

The most common is the 5-point question. Most researchers advise the use of at least five response options (if not more). This ensures that respondents have enough choices to express their opinion as accurately as possible.

Some researchers suggest always using an even number of responses so respondents are not presented with a neutral answer, therefore having to “choose a side.” This is to avoid a tepid response even when respondents have an opinion, which is one of the most common types of errors in surveying .

Likert scale interpretation involves analyzing the responses to understand the participants’ attitudes toward the statements.

It’s important to note that Likert scales provide a quantitative representation of attitudes but do not necessarily capture underlying reasoning or motivations. Qualitative methods, such as interviews or open-ended questions, are often used in conjunction with Likert scales to gain a deeper understanding of participants’ perspectives.

Overall, Likert scale interpretation of data involves analyzing the numerical ratings, considering the directionality of the scale, examining central tendency and variability, identifying response patterns, and conducting comparative analyses to draw meaningful conclusions about people’s attitudes or opinions.

How to analyze satisfaction survey scale questions

For a survey to be its best , how gathered information is analyzed is as important as the gathering itself. That’s why we’ll now turn to the most effective ways of analyzing responses from satisfaction survey scales.

When using Likert scale questions, the analysis tools used are mean, median, and mode. These help better understand the information collected.

The mean (or average) is the average value of data, calculated by adding all the numbers and dividing this sum by the total number of values offered to respondents. The median is the middle value of a data set, while the mode is the number that occurs most often.

Some other useful ways of analyzing information are filtering and cross tabulation.

Using a filter, the responses of one particular group of respondents are focused upon and the rest filtered out. For example, how female customers rate a product can be determined by filtering out male respondents, while concentrating on customers aged 20 to 30 can be gleaned by filtering out older respondents.

Cross tabulation, on the other hand, is a method to compare two sets of information in one chart and analyze the relationship between multiple variables. In other words, it can show the responses of a particular subgroup while it can also be combined with other subgroups.

Say you want to look at the responses of unemployed female respondents aged 20 to 30. By using cross tabulation, all three parameters—gender, age, and employment status—can be combined and correlation calculated.

If this all sounds confusing, SurveyPlanet luckily doesn’t just offer great examples of surveys and the ability to create custom themes , but also the power to export survey results into several different formats, such as Microsoft Excel and Word, CSV, PDF, and JSON files.

How to interpret Likert scale data?

When information has been gathered and analyzed, it’s time to present it to stakeholders. This is the final stage of research. Analyzing the results of Likert scale questionnaires is a vital way to improve services and grow a business. Presenting the results correctly is a key step.

Here’s how to develop a clear goal and present it understandably and engagingly.

Compare the newly obtained information with data gathered from previous surveys. Sure, information gathered from the latest research is valuable on its own, but not helpful enough. For example, it tells you if customers are currently satisfied with products or services, but not whether things are better or worse than last year.

The key to improving customer service—and thus developing a business—is comparing current responses with previous ones. This is called longitudinal analysis. It can provide valuable insights about how a business is developing, if things are improving or declining, and what issues need to be solved.

If there is no previous data, then start collecting feedback immediately in order to compare results with future surveys. This is called benchmarking. It helps keep track of progress and how products, services, and overall customer satisfaction changes over time.

The most crucial information to compare new findings with is previous surveys. But it is highly recommended to constantly compare findings with other types of information, such as Google Analytics, sales data, and other objective indicators.

Another good practice is comparing qualitative with quantitative data . The more information, the more accurate the research results, which will help better convey findings to stakeholders. This will also improve business decision-making, strengthening the experiences of customers and employees.

Numbers are easier to understand when suitable visual representation is provided. However, it is essential to use a medium that adequately highlights key findings.

Line graphs, pie charts, bar charts, histograms, scatterplots, infographics, and many more techniques can be used.

But don’t forget good old tables. Even if they’re not so visually dynamic and a little harder on the eyes, some information is simply best presented in tables, especially numerical data.

Working with all of these options, more satisfactory presentations can be created.

When presenting findings to stakeholders, don’t just focus on the numbers. Instead, highlight the conclusions about customer or employee satisfaction drawn from the research. That way, everyone present at the meeting will gain a deeper understanding of what you’re trying to convey.

A valuable and exciting piece of advice is to focus on the story the numbers tell. Don’t simply list the numbers collected. Instead, use relevant examples and connect all the information, building on each dataset to make a meaningful whole.

Define and describe problems that need to be solved in engaging and easy-to-understand terms so that listeners don’t have a hard time understanding what is being shared. Include suggestions that could improve, for example, customer experience outcomes. It is also important to share findings with the relevant teams, listen to their perspectives, and find solutions together.

An example of Likert scale data analysis and interpretation

Let’s consider an example scenario and go through the steps of analyzing and interpreting Likert scale data.

Scenario: A company conducts an employee satisfaction survey using a Likert scale to measure employees’ attitudes toward various aspects of their work environment. The scale ranges from 1 (Strongly Disagree) to 5 (Strongly Agree).

Item 1: “I feel valued and appreciated at work.”

Item 2: “My workload is manageable.”

Item 3: “I receive adequate training and support.”

Item 4: “I have opportunities for growth and advancement.”

Item 5: “My supervisor provides constructive feedback.”

Step 1: Calculate mean scores by summing up the responses and dividing by the number of respondents.

Item 1: Mean score = (4+5+5+4+3)/5 = 4.2

Item 2: Mean score = (3+4+3+3+4)/5 = 3.4

Item 3: Mean score = (4+4+5+4+3)/5 = 4.0

Item 4: Mean score = (3+4+3+2+4)/5 = 3.2

Item 5: Mean score = (4+3+4+3+5)/5 = 3.8

Step 2: Assess central tendency by looking at the distribution of responses to identify the most frequent response or central point.

Item 1: 4 (Agree) is the most frequent response.

Item 2: 3 (Neutral) is the most frequent response.

Item 3: 4 (Agree) is the most frequent response.

Item 4: 3 (Neutral) is the most frequent response.

Item 5: 4 (Agree) is the most frequent response.

Step 3: Consider Variability by assessing the range or spread of responses to understand the diversity of opinions.

Item 1: Range = 5-3 = 2 (relatively low variability)

Item 2: Range = 4-3 = 1 (low variability)

Item 3: Range = 5-3 = 2 (relatively low variability)

Item 4: Range = 4-2 = 2 (relatively low variability)

Item 5: Range = 5-3 = 2 (relatively low variability)

Step 4: Identify response patterns By looking for consistent agreement or disagreement across items or patterns of response clusters.

Step 5: Comparative analysis of responses among different groups, such as other departments or job positions, to identify attitude variations.

In this example, there is a pattern of agreement on items related to feeling valued at work (Item 1), receiving training and support (Item 3), and receiving constructive feedback (Item 5). However, there is a relatively neutral response pattern for workload manageability (Item 2) and growth opportunities (Item 4).

For example, you could compare responses between different departments to see if there are significant differences in employee satisfaction levels.

Based on the analysis, employees feel valued and appreciated at work (Item 1) and perceive adequate training and support (Item 3). However, there may be room for improvement regarding workload manageability (Item 2), opportunities for growth (Item 4), and the provision of constructive feedback (Item 5).

The relatively low variability across items suggests moderate agreement within the group. However, the neutral response pattern for workload manageability and opportunities for growth may indicate areas that require attention to enhance employee satisfaction.

Likert scales are a highly effective way of collecting qualitative data. They help you gain a deeper understanding of customers’ or employees’ opinions and needs.

Make this kind of vital research easier. Discover our unique features —like exporting and printing results —that will save time and energy. Let SurveyPlanet take care of your surveys!

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• The 4,5, and 7 Point Likert Scale + [Questionnaire Examples]

Wondering what a Likert Scale is? A Likert scale is basically a scale used to represent people’s opinions and attitudes to a topic or subject matter. The Likert scale ranges from one extreme to another, for example, “extremely likely” to “not at all likely. It uses psychometric testing to measure the beliefs, attitudes, and opinions of subjects. 

The likert scale is important for research because it can be used to measure someone’s attitude by measuring the extent to which they agree or disagree with a particular question or statement. Likert Scale questions constitute one of the most widely used tools in researching popular opinion. 

What is a Likert Scale? 

A Likert scale is a psychometric scale commonly involved in research used to represent people’s opinions and attitudes to a topic or subject matter. It employs questionnaires, often used interchangeably with a rating scale, although there are other types of rating scales to measure opinions.

Read Also: 7 Types of Data Measurement Scales in Research

What are Likert Scale Points?

Scales are used to rank people’s judgments of objects, events, or other people from low to high or from poor to good. A scale is a continuum from highest to lowest points and has intermediate points in between these two extremities.

In 1932, Rensis Likert, a psychologist interested in measuring people’s opinions or attitudes on a variety of items, developed the original Likert scale. Today, Likert scales are widely used in social and educational research.

The difference between a proper scale and a Likert scale is that Likert differentiated between the underlying phenomenon being reviewed and the means by which the variation is captured. This eventually points to the underlying phenomenon. The Likert scaling assumes that the distance between each choice/option is equal.

On the whole, a Likert item is simply a statement that the respondent is asked to evaluate by giving it a quantitative value on any kind of objective dimension, with a level of agreement and/or disagreement being the dimension most commonly used.

Want to design a Likert scale questionnaire? Sign up with formplus to start using over 10 options and rating fields for your online surveys. 

Here are the 3 most popular Likert Scale Points;

4 Point Likert Scale

4 point Likert scale is basically a forced Likert scale. The reason it is named as such is that the user is forced to form an opinion. There is no safe ‘neutral’ option. Ideally a good scale for market researchers, they make use of the 4 point scale to get specific responses.

Pros of a 4 Point scale

• In certain cases in which a specific user opinion is essential, the 4-point scale is most ideal.
• Best for recording opinions on services/products which the user has used/experienced.
• Usually, Likert scales are odd-numbered scales. It provides an exception to the rule

Cons of a 4 point scale  

• A 4 point Likert scale is observed to distort the results.
• A 4 point Likert scale forces a choice when a respondent has no opinion
• A 5 point Likert scale data is more accurate than the 4 point data.
• Respondents might not answer at all. In many cases, it is preferable to know that they were neutral rather than having them not answer the question at all.

Four Point Likert Scale Examples

4 point Likert scale examples include a 4 point scale for the frequency with options; never, rarely, often, and every time. A four-point scale example for Agreement with options ranging from strongly disagree & agree, a four-point Likert scale example for satisfaction, whose option ranges between strongly satisfied and dissatisfied.

1. 4 Point Likert Scale Example for Frequency

To measure frequency, customer care surveys can make use of an even Likert scale question.

2. 4 Point Likert Scale Example for Agreement

This question goes, either way and is linked with intermediate agreement answer options. These questions are used to measure customer satisfaction.

3. 4 Point Likert Scale Example for Satisfaction : The two sides to satisfaction which is satisfied and dissatisfied will be interlinked with other answer options without a neutral answer option.

Interpretation of a 4 Point Likert Scale

• To interpret a 4 point scale, assign each response a point value, from 1 to 4, based on the number of responses.
• Common values for the options start with “strongly disagree” at 1 point and “strongly agree” at 4.
• Create a table for your results and find the Mode (number of times something occurs) and the average response (Mean).
• The mode will tell you the most common response to each statement while the mean will give you the overall average response.

5 Point Likert Scale

5 point Likert scale consists of 5 answer options which will contain two extreme poles and a neutral option connected with intermediate answer options. A commonly used 5 point Likert scale example to measure satisfaction is: Very satisfied, Satisfied, Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied, Dissatisfied, and Very dissatisfied.

Over time, Likert’s original 5-point scale has taken new forms. It offers 5 different answer options related to an agreement that would be distinct enough for the respondents.

Pros of a 5 Point scale 

• It is relatively easier for respondents to understand.
• A 5 point scale is ideal for a larger study.
• 5 point Likert scales tend to produce better distributions of data

Cons of a 5 point Likert scale  

• It is sometimes inaccurate.
• 5-point scales can’t measure all attitudes towards an issue.
• The results of a 5-point scale might not be objective.

Examples of Five Point Likert Scale Questionnaires

1. 5 Point Likert Scale Example for Agreement

This scale would consist of 5 answer options which will contain polls and a neutral option connected with intermediate answer options. These scales can be used in a similar manner for measuring likelihood, importance, frequency, and many other factors.

2. 5 Point Likert Scale Example for Satisfaction

This scale of measuring satisfaction will offer 5 answer options such as satisfied and dissatisfied with a neutral option at the midpoint. These options are interlinked with other options that would provide respondents the variations they look for.

3. 5 Point Likert Scale Example for Frequency

To measure the frequency of an occurrence with other options that would provide respondents the variations they look for.

How to Interpret a 5 Point Likert Scale Questionnaire 

• Assign each response a point value, from 1 to 5, based on the number of responses.
• Common values for the options start with “strongly disagree” at 1 point and “strongly agree” at 5.
• The mode will tell you the most common response to each statement while the mean will give you the overall average response

7 Point Likert Scale

7 point Likert scales are an upgrade to the 5-point scale. A 7-point Likert scale ranges from one extreme to another, like “extremely likely” to “not at all likely.”

What is a 7 point Likert Scale? 

A 7 point Likert scale offers 7 different answer options related to an agreement that would be distinct enough for the respondents, without throwing them into confusion. Typically, it includes a moderate or neutral midpoint, and 7 point likert scales are known to be the most accurate of the Likert scales

Pros of a 7 Point scale 

• It is the most accurate of the Likert scales
• It is easier to use
• It gives a better reflection of a respondent’s true evaluation.
• The best solution for questionnaires such as those used in usability evaluations.

Con of a 7 point scale  

• Respondents’ answers will be influenced by previous questions

Examples of a 7 Point Likert Scale

A 7 point Likert scale example for an agreement will include options such as; strongly disagree, disagree, somewhat disagree, either agree or disagree, somewhat agree, and agree while 7 point Likert examples for frequency and satisfaction follow the same manner.

1. 7 Point Likert Scale Example for Agreement :

This scale offers 7 different answer options related to an agreement that would be distinct enough for the respondents to answer without getting confused. These scales can be used in a similar manner for measuring likelihood, importance, frequency, and many other factors.

2. 7 Point Likert Scale Example for Satisfaction

This scale of measuring satisfaction will offer 7 answer options such as satisfied and dissatisfied with a neutral option at the midpoint. The other options must be distinct and should add value to the scale in such a way that respondents can provide precise feedback without any hindrances.

3. 7 Point Likert Scale Example of Frequency

To measure the frequency of occurrence in such a way that respondents can provide precise feedback without any hindrances.

How to Analyse and Interpret a 7 Point Likert Scale

• Assign each response a point value, from 1 to 7, based on the number of responses.
• Create values for the options start with “strongly disagree” at 1 point and “strongly agree” at 7.

Other Likert Scale Points Includes; 

• 2 Point Likert Scale

The 2 points Likert scale is the simplest Likert scale question example where there’ll be just two Likert options, such as agree and disagree as two poles of the scale. It is typically used to measure Agreement.

• 3 Points Likert Scale

3 Point Likert scale is a scale that offers agree and disagree as to the polar points along with a neutral option. Like the 2-point scale, the 3 point scale is also used to measure Agreement. Options will include: Agree, Disagree, and Neutral.

• 6 Points Likert Scale

A 6 point Likert scale forces choice and gives better data. And, if at any point a neutral is desired, the “slightly agree” and “slightly disagree” can be averaged together. The 6 points Likert scale offers options for Extremely satisfied Very satisfied, Somewhat satisfied, Somewhat dissatisfied, Very dissatisfied, and Extremely dissatisfied.

• 9 Point Likert Scale

9 point Likert scale ranges from 1(strongly disagree) to 9 (strongly agree). This, in turn, provides very elaborate data and provides a wide variety of choices to the respondent. 

• 10 Points Likert Scale 

A 10 point Likert scale will offer more variance than a smaller Likert scale, provide a higher degree of measurement precision and provide a better opportunity to detect changes and more power to explain a point of view.

Want to design a Likert scale questionnaire? Sign up with formplus to start using over 10 options and rating fields for your online surveys.

How to Create a Likert Scale Questionnaire with Formplus 

1. Register or sign up on Formplus builder

Start creating your Likert Scale questionnaire signing up with either your Google, Facebook or Email accoun t . Formplus allows you create questionnaires for free. If you want to test all premium features consider switching to a paid plan. We currently give reasonable discounts for Education and Non-Profit Organizations. 

Sign up to design your customized online questionnaire or survey form with Formplus.

2 . Input your Likert scale questionnaire title and use the form builder choice options to start creating your questionnaire. 

Add a choice field like single select, multiple select, checkbox, radio, or image choice.

3. Do you want customers to rate any of your products or services delivery? 

Use the rating to allow survey respondent rate your products or services. 

4. Beautify your Likert scale questionnaire with Formplus Customisation features.

• Change the theme color
• Add your brands’ logo and image to the forms
• Change the form width and layout
• Edit submission button if you want
• Change text font color and sizes
• Do you have already made custom CSS to beautify your questionnaire? If yes, just copy and paste it to the CSS option.

5. Edit your Likert Scale questionnaire settings for your specific needs

Formplus builder gives you the liberty to choose your storage options (Formplus Storage, Dropbox, OneDrive, and Google Drive). You can also limit the number of responses, enable Captcha to prevent spamming, and collect information about your respondent location.

Set an introductory message to respondents before they begin the survey, toggle the “start button” post final submission message or redirect respondents to another page when they submit their questionnaires. 

 Initiate an autoresponder message to all your survey respondents. 

6. Share links of your Likert scale questionnaire page with customers.

There’s an option to copy and share the link as “Popup” or “Embed code” The data collection tool automatically creates a QR Code for Survey Questionnaire where you can download and share as appropriate. 

7. View Responses to the Likert scale Questionnaire

Toggle with the presentation of your summary from the options. Whether as a single, table or cards. In addition, you can make graphs from received responses, and translate these into charts and key metrics. 

8. Let Formplus Analytics interpret your data from your Likert scale questionnaire 

You can also monitor your form performance and identify your traffic source and location with Formplus Analytics.

With online form builder analytics, you can determine:

• The number of times the Likert scale questionnaire was filled
• The number of customers reached
• Abandonment Rate: The rate at which customers exit the questionnaire without submitting.
• Conversion Rate: The percentage of customers who completed the online form
• Average time spent per visit
• Location of customers/respondents.
• The type of device used by the customer to complete the Likert scale questionnaire

Best Formplus Features to Use For Point Likert Scale

Choice options .

• Radio Choice

Preparing a Likert scale, use Radio choice to ask your respondents to choose a single option from a shortlist. Radio Choice questions should always be used when asking yes or no questions. 

• Image Choice

You can also use images as your answer options or customize the icons themselves. Image Choice is a simple, closed-ended question type that lets respondents select one or more image answers from a defined list of image likert scale choices.

• Check Boxes

A checkbox is a small box on a form into which a tick or other mark is entered as the response to a question. They allow your respondents to select multiple answers from a list. Checkbox questions are easy to analyze since they are closed-ended.

• Single Select

Single-Selection is a questioning system where a user is asked to pick only one answer, from a predetermined set of responses of at least. Single selection lets you create questions with several pre-configured answers for participants.

• Scale Rating

The Rate scale records how much or how well it happened. The scale usually has several points ranging from “poor” to “excellent” or something in a similar arrangement. This scale is used to evaluate the performance of a product or service, employee skills, customer service performances, processes followed for a particular goal, etc

• Star Rating

The Star Rating scale question lets respondents evaluate a statement on a visual scale of stars. For instance, products are awarded a rating from 1 to 5 Stars by customers to reflect where it belongs. The higher the Star Rating, the better

• Heart Rating

Similar to the Star Rating, the heart Rating question lets respondents evaluate a statement on a visual scale of hearts. A weight is assigned to each heart icon on the scale. 

• Matrix Rating

A Rating Scale question, commonly known as a Likert Scale, is a variation of the Matrix question where you can assign weights to each answer choice. A Matrix question is a closed-ended question that asks respondents to evaluate one or more row items using the same set of column choices. 

• Smile Rating 

The Smile Rating question lets respondents evaluate a statement on a visual scale. Whereas the sad face shows negative ratings and the smiling face shows a positive rating. Smileys are evaluated better and perform similar to traditional radio buttons, there seems to be an advantage in using smileys as a response.

A Likert scale is a very quick and easy to run this type of survey that can be sent through all modes of communication. They provide a universal method of collecting data, which means it is easy to understand. If you’re working with quantitative data, it is easy to draw conclusions, reports, results, and graphs from the responses.

Furthermore, because Likert Scale questions use a scale, people are not forced to express an either-or opinion, rather enabling them to be neutral should they so choose. Despite that, a huge downside to using Likert Scales is that respondents either lean towards choosing the most extreme option or express no opinion at all.

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