What Is a Likert Scale?

| Guide & Examples

Published on July 3, 2020 by Pritha Bhandari and Kassiani Nikolopoulou. Revised on January 16, 2023.

A Likert scale is a rating scale used to measure opinions, attitudes, or behaviors.

It consists of a statement or a question, followed by a series of five or seven answer statements.

Respondents choose the option that best corresponds with how they feel about the statement or
question.

Because respondents are presented with a range of possible answers, Likert scales are great for
capturing the level of agreement or their feelings regarding the topic in a more nuanced way. However,
Likert scales are prone to response bias, where respondents either agree or disagree with all the
statements due to fatigue or social desirability or have a tendency toward extreme responding or other
demand characteristics.

Likert scales are common in survey research, as well as in fields like marketing, psychology, or other
social sciences.
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.

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.

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.

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.

How to write strong Likert scale questions

Each Likert scale–style question should assess a single attitude or trait. In order to get accurate results, it
is important to word your questions precisely. As a rule of thumb, make sure each question only
measures one aspect of your topic.

For example, if you want to assess attitudes towards environmentally friendly behaviors, you can design
a Likert scale with a variety of questions that measure different aspects of this topic.

Here are a few pointers:

 Include both questions and statements

 Use both positive and negative framing
 Avoid double negatives
 Ask about only one thing at a time
 Be crystal clear
Include both questions and statements
A good rule of thumb is to use a mix of both to keep your participants engaged during the survey. When
deciding how to phrase questions and statements, it’s important that they are easily understood and do
not bias your respondents in one way or another.
Use both positive and negative framing
If all of your questions only ask about things in socially desirable ways, your participants may be biased
towards agreeing with all of them to show themselves in a positive light.

Respondents who agree with the first statement should also disagree with the second. By including both
of these statements in a long survey, you can also check whether the participants’ responses are reliable
and consistent.

Avoid double negatives

Double negatives can lead to confusion and misinterpretations, as respondents may be unsure of what
they are agreeing or disagreeing with.

Ask about only one thing at a time

Avoid double-barreled questions (asking about two different topics within the same question). When
faced with such questions, your respondents may selectively answer about one topic and ignore the
other. Questions like this may also confuse respondents, leading them to choose a neutral but
inaccurate answer in an attempt to answer both questions simultaneously.

Be crystal clear
The accuracy of your data also relies heavily on word choice:

 Pose your questions clearly, leaving no room for misunderstanding.

 Make language and stylistic choices that resonate with your target demographic.
 Stay away from jargon that could discourage or confuse your respondents.