Uses And Characteristics Of Likert Scale

Disadvantages of Likert Scale

1. People might not want to opt for the two extreme options. This can happen due to the consciousness of looking like an extremist.
2. Very often, it is seen that people go for the neutral option as it is the easier one. It is also quicker to decide.
3. The most disadvantageous and most commonly seen limits of such sociological study methods are participants not being honest with the answers. It may be intentional or unintentional, but a lot of times, respondents may not be honest. This hinders the survey a lot.
4. At times the options may not have even points. Likert scale always assumes, there is an equal value between each option. For example, the difference between always and often may not be equal to the difference between rarely and never. On the same scale, the difference in intensity may not be equal.
5. The participants may unintentionally answer in a way they think they are expected to answer.
6. Subjective questions are not available for evaluation on the Likert scale.

 

Uses of a Likert scale

A Likert scale can be a part of many types of surveys and can ask questions on many topics.

Psychological surveys: Likert scale is a measure for surveys on psychology. The intensity of the feelings and behavior is measurable through a Likert scale. Self-report inventories use the Likert scale mostly. Numerous tests are available on the Likert scale. It can evaluate how strongly a person feels in a specific situation. From the answers to such questions, the problem or the personality trait is obtainable.

Sociological surveys: Quite similar to psychological surveys, this scale also evaluates the sociological traits of respondents. An analysis is possible on the basis of how an individual feels about a particular social issue and how intense. Then the number of respondents who feel the same way is evident.

Customer satisfaction: This is the most common type that many may have come across. Customer satisfaction surveys mainly ask the customers to rate their products using a Likert scale. Ratings are generally on the price of the product, look, service, and need.

Market research: Market research is a wider concept for customer satisfaction. It also aims to get knowledge of the market competition. Here, respondents can rate different products from different brands. Through this, the researcher will be able to know which product is likely to do well in the market.

Physical health: Likert scale is also for conducting physical health surveys. Diet, mood and physical abnormalities are recordable through such surveys.

 

How to create questions with Likert scale?

You need to follow some procedures to create a questionnaire that delivers and reaches out to the sample population. An effective survey also means getting the results that you desire.

1. What to measure: Firstly you need to determine, what the scale needs to measure. You can measure importance, quality, probability, or frequency. On the other hand, you can measure customer satisfaction or feelings, or product preferences. The purpose of the survey is very important. For example, you want to gain knowledge on the online and offline reading of books.
2. Statements or questions: You need to list out the statements that you want your sample to answer. When you are conducting a survey, it is implied that you know what exactly to ask. Your objectives can become your questions or statements. Building on the previous example, you may want to know how much the respondents read books online. The question can be, “How much do you read books online?- Always, often, sometimes, rarely, or never.
3. Number of response options: You have to determine how many response options you need to keep. This mainly concerns whether you want a four-point or five-point scale. Whether you want to keep the neutral option is also important to decide. This is because not having a neutral option may alter a lot of responses and the analysis.

Through using these steps, you can easily make a questionnaire using the Likert scale. Try it here for free.

 

There are also many more ways in which you can improve the survey efficiency to get better results.

• Some similar questions: Use some similar questions. This can ensure that you get proper results. Sometimes, some respondents can alter their responses in later questions. This can create discrepancies but also helps you to more or less understand the true feelings.

• Repeat tests: Repetitive tests on similar objectives can lead to better results. You can get better insights into the preference and the behavior of the sample population.

• Creative questions: Asking creative questions, keeps the audience engaged. Monotonous and boring questions may wear out the interests of the audience. Thus, you might get distorted answers. Always use interactive or fun questions to keep the respondent’s attention.

• Try using opposite poles of options: The main feature of the Likert scale is how it has equal positive and negative ends. So, keeping that intact is very important. It definitely ensures more or less accurate results as well.

• Consistent scales: Staying with consistent scales, ensures that you can evaluate on a specific level. With the same scales, the analysis process becomes way easier.

• Opt out neutral: Opting out neutral can avoid indecisive options. But it creates a great disadvantage as when a respondent is actually indecisive he does not get the liberty to answer accordingly.

• One at a time: Prefer asking only about one topic at a type. Otherwise, it gets difficult to answer.

 

How to analyze Likert scale responses?

Likert scales can be of two kinds:

A) One where the difference between two consecutive options may not be equal. The difference is not quantifiable. For example, in yes, no, and maybe options. These are Likert type questions.

B) Another is the numerical rating. This is the scale. Here, the difference between each of the consecutive numbers is the same. It is quantifiable. For example, 1 to 10 rating. The difference between 1 and 3 is equal to that of 8 to 10.

Likert scale can be put for analysis statistically. Quantifying the number of responses towards a side can help to determine the preference or frequency of the statement. Statistically defining the data may lead to understanding what the majority of the population may want.

1. You may want to assign scores to each question while conducting the survey. Then the scores of each response can be summed up to get the total score of each. Then find the average of all the scores of the responses and deduce the findings.
2. Otherwise, you can use graphs, bar charts, or pie charts to get the frequency of each option of each question. The chart shows which is the most preferable answer. Then you can deduce your findings.

 

Problems that you can face :

In most cases, respondents tend to not go for any of the two extreme ends of the scale.
• Due to ignorance or disinterest, respondents may choose the indecisive option.
• Respondents may answer in a way to avoid being judged.

 

Conclusion:

The Likert scale is a very reliable source to obtain statistical data. The majority of the online surveys are conducted in this way. It may have some difficulties while taking up this type of scale. But the results from it can be more or less accurate.