Rating Scale

A rating scale gives survey respondents values from which to choose (image, numeric, or text), to indicate their attitudes or behaviors. Rating scales collect ordinal data, though some researchers treat it as interval data. A Likert scale is a popular type of rating scale that often uses a 5-point scale to measure attitudes. A common example is a 5-point agreement scale, ranging from “Strongly Disagree” to “Strongly Agree.” However, Likert scales are also commonly used to measure various attitudes (e.g., expectations, satisfaction, performance). The semantic differential is a rating scale that collects responses using bipolar pairs of words or phrases (such as “Boring” versus “Exciting” and “Delicate” versus “Rugged”). The structure uses fewer words than Likert scales and can be less biased. Typically structured as a 5 or 7-point scale. See also this video.