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Statistics vocabulary · Survey and Study Design

Likert scale

Meaning in statistics, with examples

/ˈlɪkərt skeɪl/nounCore term

In statistics, Likert scale means: A rating scale on which respondents show how much they agree or disagree with statements, typically with five or seven ordered options from 'strongly disagree' to 'strongly agree'.

In Turkish: Likert ölçeği, Likert tipi ölçek

How it is used

Named after the psychologist Rensis Likert. Strictly, one question is a 'Likert item' and the summed set of items is the 'Likert scale'. There is long-running debate about whether such ordinal data can be analysed with means and t-tests.

Example sentences

  1. Job satisfaction was measured on a five-point Likert scale.

  2. Should we use a five- or a seven-point Likert scale for the customer survey?

Common collocations

  • five-point Likert scale
  • Likert-type item
  • Likert scale responses
  • rate on a Likert scale
  • questionnaireThe printed or online form containing the set of questions that respondents answer in a survey.
  • surveyA method of collecting information by asking a set of questions to a group of people, usually a sample, in person, by phone, on paper or online.
  • categorical variableA variable whose values are groups or labels rather than measured quantities, such as blood type, city of residence or 'yes/no' answers.
  • nonparametric testA test that does not assume the data follow a specific distribution such as the normal, often working with ranks instead of the raw values.

More terms: Survey and Study Design

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