Likert Scale - How to Pick the Best Options for Your Multiple Choice Questions

June 24, 2024

Likert Scale Definition

The Likert scale is a popular rating system used in surveys to measure respondents' attitudes, opinions, or feelings towards a specific topic. Named after psychologist Rensis Likert, this scale provides a range of options that capture the intensity of respondents' sentiments, offering a more nuanced view than simple yes/no questions.

Why Use It

Want More Detail Than Yes/No Questions

Yes/no questions are straightforward, but they often fail to capture the full spectrum of respondents' opinions. The Likert scale fills this gap by allowing participants to express varying degrees of agreement or disagreement, providing richer and more detailed data. This granularity is particularly useful when you need to understand the intensity of feelings or attitudes towards a specific subject.

Great for Measuring Attitude, Opinions, or Feelings

When your goal is to gauge complex human emotions or opinions, the Likert scale is an invaluable tool. Whether you're measuring customer satisfaction, employee engagement, or public opinion, this scale's ability to capture subtle differences in sentiment makes it a go-to choice for researchers and survey designers alike.

Different Levels of Likert Scale Questions

5 vs 7 Level

One of the key decisions when designing Likert scale questions is choosing the number of response options. The most common choices are 5-level and 7-level scales. A 5-level scale might include options like: Strongly Disagree, Disagree, Neutral, Agree, and Strongly Agree. A 7-level scale adds more granularity, allowing for a more precise measurement of attitudes.

While a 5-level scale is simpler and easier for respondents to complete, a 7-level scale can capture more nuanced opinions. The choice between the two often depends on the context of your survey and the level of detail you need.

How to Create Strong Likert Scale Questions

Use Both Positive and Negative Framing

To avoid bias and ensure balanced responses, it's crucial to frame questions both positively and negatively. For example, instead of only asking "How satisfied are you with our service?" you could also ask "How dissatisfied are you with our service?" This approach helps in obtaining a more accurate measure of respondents' true feelings.

Avoid Double Negatives

Double negatives can confuse respondents and lead to unreliable data. Keep your questions clear and straightforward. For instance, instead of asking "Do you not find our service unsatisfactory?" simply ask "Are you satisfied with our service?"

Only Ask One Thing at a Time

Each question should address a single issue to avoid confusion and ensure clarity. Compound questions like "How satisfied are you with our service and our prices?" can lead to ambiguous answers because respondents might have different opinions on each aspect.

Real-World Examples of Likert Scale Use

Customer Satisfaction Surveys: Measure customer satisfaction with products, services, or experiences.
Employee Engagement Surveys: Assess employee morale, job satisfaction, and commitment to the organization.
Market Research: Gauge public opinion on products, brands, or social issues.

Considerations

Pros - User Friendly and Fine Grained

The Likert scale is user-friendly, allowing respondents to easily express their opinions. Its granularity offers fine-grained data that can reveal trends and insights not captured by simpler question formats.

Cons - Can Get Bored or Fatigued

One potential drawback is that respondents can become bored or fatigued, especially if the survey is long. This can lead to response biases such as central tendency bias, where respondents may choose the middle option to quickly complete the survey. To mitigate this, keep surveys concise and engaging.

How to implement with SurveyNoodle

SurveyNoodle offers a range of question types, including multiple choice, to help you gather valuable feedback from your audience. With our intuitive survey builder, you can have it suggest the right options automatically base on your question and you can turn on automatic sentiment tracking to correctly track the customer sentiment over time.

Curious about how SurveyNoodle compares to other tools? Read our in-depth comparison with SurveyMonkey to see how we stack up!