Definition Likert scale
The Likert scale is used, in a narrower sense, to detect the attitude of a respondent on a given topic. The Likert scale is named after the American psychologist Rensis Likert.
A Likert test contains several statements in the form of phrases. Using the help of a scale, respondents are asked to agree or disagree with these statements. Likert scales usually consist of 5, 7, or 11 attributes. The mean response on a scale with 7 values, 4, is representative of the answer "do not know/undecided." The individual questions that make up a block of statements on a topic are called items.
An example: The overall feature 'innovation' is to be tested. One of several Likert-items might look like this: To which degree do you agree with the following statement? "I like to buy the latest tech-gadgets that have just hit the stores." The response options can range from 1 = "strongly agree" to 5 = "strongly disagree."
In a broader sense, the term Likert scale is often widely used for rating scales to which respondents can express agreement or disagreement in a multi-stage interval scale.
Please note that the definitions in our statistics encyclopedia are simplified explanations of terms. Our goal is to make the definitions accessible for a broad audience; thus it is possible that some definitions do not adhere entirely to scientific standards.