Understanding the Likert Scale: A Comprehensive Guide

The Likert scale is a commonly used survey response scale that measures respondents’ attitudes, perceptions, and beliefs toward a particular topic or statement. It is a simple and effective way to measure people’s opinions and perspectives on various issues. 

In this guide, we’ll comprehensively explain the Likert scale, how it works, and how to use it in your surveys.

What is a Likert Scale?

A Likert scale is a rating scale that measures the level of agreement or disagreement with a statement or question. It typically comprises a series of comments or questions rated on a scale of 1 to 5 or 1 to 7, with one representing “strongly disagree” and 5 or 7 representing “strongly agree.” It asks respondents to agree or disagree with each statement. Basically, it measures the strength and direction of attitudes or opinions. Businesses can measure the attitude from positive to negative, and people’s responses to a question will fall somewhere along this continuum.

Are Likert Scale and NPS scale the same?

In short, the answer is no. The Likert Scale is a multi-point measurement scale that assesses the intensity of agreement or disagreement with a statement, allowing for nuanced responses across various options. On the other hand, the NPS scale measures customer loyalty and advocacy by asking respondents to rate their likelihood of recommending a company or product on a scale of 0 to 10. While the former provides a broader understanding of attitudes and opinions, the latter is a simple and standardized metric emphasizing the likelihood of customers promoting or detracting from a brand.

Why Use a Likert Scale?

The Likert scale is famous for survey research because it is easy to administer and analyze and provides a standardized way of measuring perception. It is a versatile tool and can measure various variables, from broader social, political, and economic issues to detailed, more specific perceptions of customer satisfaction and employee engagement.

Fun fact:

“The Service-Profit Chain” study, published in the Harvard Business Review in 1994, is widely recognized as one of the seminal works that explored the relationship between employee satisfaction, customer loyalty, and financial outcomes in service-based organizations. 

Believed to be the pioneering research on this topic, the study was built entirely using only the Likert Scale, setting a perfect example of how anyone can use such questions in business research to identify factors that drive organizational performance and success. The researchers used Likert scale questions such as “I am proud to work for this company” or “I am satisfied with the training and development opportunities provided” and developed a positive correlation between all three variables. 

How to draft a Likert Scale question?

Creating a Likert scale question is relatively easy. Follow these steps to get started with structuring what you want to measure or ask:

1. Start by drafting statements or questions reflecting the topic or issue you want to measure. 
2. Next, create a rating scale with at least five response options, ranging from “strongly disagree” to “strongly agree.” Make sure that the rating scale is clear and easy to understand.
3. When creating a Likert scale, it’s important to ensure that the statements or questions are clear, concise, and unambiguous. 
4. The rating scale should also be evenly spaced and balanced, with an equal number of positive and negative statements or questions.

How to use the Likert Scale statements/questions in a survey?

The Likert scale can be used in various contexts and for different purposes. Here are some survey examples of how the Likert scale can be used:

1. Employee satisfaction surveys: Employers can use the Likert scale to measure employees’ satisfaction with their job, work environment, compensation, and other factors. Sample questions could include:

2. Customer feedback surveys: Businesses can use the Likert scale to collect feedback from customers about their products, services, and overall experience. Sample questions could include:

3. Academic research: Researchers can use the Likert scale to measure people’s attitudes, opinions, beliefs, and behaviors in various domains, such as education, health, social sciences, and psychology. Sample questions could include:

4. Market research: Companies can use the Likert scale to gather information about consumer preferences, attitudes, and buying behavior. Sample questions could include:

How to Analyze a Likert Scale

To analyze a Likert scale, you can use various statistical techniques, including mean scores, frequency distributions, and chi-square tests. Mean scores are a simple way to summarize the data and provide an overall measure of respondents’ attitudes or opinions. Frequency distributions show how many respondents selected each response option, providing insight into the distribution of responses. Chi-square tests are used to determine whether there is a significant relationship between the variables being measured. For example, you could use a chi-square test to determine whether there is a significant relationship between gender and attitudes toward a particular issue.

Advantages of Using a Likert Scale

There are three main advantages to using a Likert scale in survey research. 

• Firstly, the Likert scale provides a standardized way of measuring attitudes or opinions, which makes it easy to compare responses across different surveys or studies. 
• Secondly, the Likert scale is easy to administer and analyze, which reduces the time and cost associated with conducting a survey. 
• Finally, the Likert scale is versatile and can be used to measure a wide range of variables, making it a useful tool for social science research.

Limitations of Using a Likert Scale

There are also some limitations to using a Likert scale:

1. Limited Range of Response Options: The Likert scale only provides a limited range of response options, which may not capture the full range of respondents’ attitudes or opinions. This can result in a loss of information and may limit the accuracy of the data.
2. Context Dependency: Responses on a Likert scale can be context-dependent, meaning that they may vary depending on the situation or context in which they are asked. This can affect the reliability and validity of the data.
3. Response Biases: Respondents may have a tendency to choose the same response option throughout the survey, which can result in response biases and may affect the accuracy of the data. Similarly, respondents may be influenced by the order in which the questions are presented, which can also affect the accuracy of the data.
4. Difficulty in Interpretation:  The interpretation of Likert scale data can be challenging, as it requires careful consideration of the scale used, the context in which the data was collected, and the specific statements or questions used. This can lead to subjective interpretations of the data, which can affect the validity of the findings.

Our two cents

Overall, the Likert scale is a versatile tool that can be customized to suit different research questions and contexts. It is a simple and effective way to obtain valuable insights into people’s perceptions and behaviors, which can inform decision-making and improve outcomes. 

Freshsurvey has an intuitive survey builder that lets you create highly effective and engaging surveys for free if you’re inquisitive about getting started and creating a Likert scale survey. It also has a selection of templates to choose from for your Likert scale question needs. So go ahead, and give it a try!