Likert Scale Response Anchors

Last Updated: 24 Jul 2014Hits: 80007
Likert Scale Response Anchors

Named after its inventor, Rensis Likert (pronounced "lick-urt"), a Likert scale is commonly used in survey research. In fact, it it the most widely-used approach to scale responses. When responding to a Likert questionnaire item, respondents indicate their level of agreement or disagreement on a symmetric agree-disagree scale for a series of statements. The range captures the intensity of their feelings for a particular item. A scale can be created as the simple sum of questionnaire responses over the full range of the scale. In so doing, Likert scaling assumes that distances on each item are equal; if they are not, then the values cannot be treated as interval data.

Below are some popular Likert-type scales that you can use in your Sawtooth Software CiW (general interviewing) questionnaires.

 Level of Acceptability
  1. Totally unacceptable
  2. Unacceptable
  3. Slightly unacceptable
  4. Neutral
  5. Slightly acceptable
  6. Acceptable
  7. Perfectly Acceptable
Level of Appropriateness
  1. Absolutely inappropriate
  2. Inappropriate
  3. Slightly inappropriate
  4. Neutral
  5. Slightly appropriate
  6. Appropriate
  7. Absolutely appropriate
Level of Importance
  1. Not at all important
  2. Low importance
  3. Slightly important
  4. Neutral
  5. Moderately important
  6. Very important
  7. Extremely important
Level of Agreement
  1. Strongly disagree
  2. Disagree
  3. Somewhat disagree
  4. Neither agree or disagree
  5. Somewhat agree
  6. Agree
  7. Strongly agree
Knowledge of Action
  1. Never true
  2. Rarely true
  3. Sometimes but infrequently true
  4. Neutral
  5. Sometimes true
  6. Usually true
  7. Always true
Reflect Me?
  1. Very untrue of me
  2. Untrue of me
  3. Somewhat untrue of me
  4. Neutral
  5. Somewhat true of me
  6. True of me
  7. Very true of me
My beliefs
  1. Very untrue of what I believe
  2. Untrue of what I believe
  3. Somewhat untrue of what I believe
  4. Neutral
  5. Somewhat true of what I believe
  6. True of what I believe
  7. Very true of what I believe
Priority:
  1. Not a priority
  2. Low priority
  3. Somewhat priority
  4. Neutral
  5. Moderate priority
  6. High priority
  7. Essential priority
Level of Concern
  1. Not at all concerned
  2. Slightly concerned
  3. Somewhat concerned
  4. Moderately concerned
  5. Extremely concerned
Priority Level
  1. Not a priority
  2. Low priority
  3. Medium priority
  4. High priority
  5. Essential
Level of Problem
  1. Not at all a problem
  2. Minor problem
  3. Moderate problem
  4. Serious problem
Effect on X
  1. No effect
  2. Minor effect
  3. Neutral
  4. Moderate effect
  5. Major effect
Level of Consideration
  1. Would not consider
  2. Might or might not consider
  3. Definitely consider
Level of Support/Opposition
  1. Strongly oppose
  2. Somewhat oppose
  3. Neutral
  4. Somewhat favor
  5. Strongly favor
Level of Probability
  1. Not probable
  2. Somewhat improbable
  3. Neutral
  4. Somewhat probable
  5. Very probable
Level of Agreement
  1. Strongly disagree
  2. Disagree
  3. Neither agree or disagree
  4. Agree
  5. Strongly agree
Level of Desirability
  1. Very undesirable
  2. Undesirable
  3. Neutral
  4. Desirable
  5. Very desirable
Level of Participation
  1. No, and not considered
  2. No, but considered
  3. Yes
Frequency – 5 point
  1. Never
  2. Rarely
  3. Sometimes
  4. Often
  5. Always
Frequency
  1. Never
  2. Rarely
  3. Occasionally
  4. A moderate amount
  5. A great deal
Frequency of Use
  1. Never
  2. Almost never
  3. Occasionally/Sometimes
  4. Almost every time
  5. Every time
Frequency – 7 point
  1. Never
  2. Rarely, in less than 10% of the chances when I could have
  3. Occasionally, in about 30% of the chances when I could have
  4. Sometimes, in about 50% of the chances when I could have
  5. Frequently, in about 70% of the chances when I could have
  6. Usually, in about 90% of the chances I could have.
  7. Every time
Amount of Use
  1. Never use
  2. Almost never
  3. Occasionally/Sometimes
  4. Almost every time
  5. Frequently use
Level of Familiarity
  1. Not at all familiar
  2. Slightly familiar
  3. Somewhat familiar
  4. Moderately familiar
  5. Extremely familiar
Level of Awareness
  1. Not at all aware
  2. Slightly aware
  3. Somewhat aware
  4. Moderately aware
  5. Extremely aware
Level of Difficulty
  1. Very difficult
  2. Difficult
  3. Neutral
  4. Easy
  5. Very easy
Likelihood
  1. Extremely unlikely
  2. Unlikely
  3. Neutral
  4. Likely
  5. Extremely likely
Level of Detraction
  1. Detracted very little
  2.  
  3. Neutral
  4.  
  5. Detracted very much
Good / Bad
  1. Very negative
  2.  
  3. Neutral
  4.  
  5. Very positive
Barriers
  1. Not a barrier
  2. Somewhat of a barrier
  3. Moderate barrier
  4. Extreme barrier
Level of Satisfaction – 5 point
  1. Very dissatisfied
  2. Dissatisfied
  3. Unsure
  4. Satisfied
  5. Very satisfied
Level of Satisfaction – 5 point
  1. Not at all satisfied
  2. Slightly satisfied
  3. Moderately satisfied
  4. Very satisfied
  5. Extremely satisfied
Level of Satisfaction – 7 point
  1. Completely dissatisfied
  2. Mostly dissatisfied
  3. Somewhat dissatisfied
  4. Neither satisfied or dissatisfied
  5. Somewhat satisfied
  6. Mostly satisfied
  7. Completely satisfied
Level of Quality – 5 point
  1. Poor
  2. Fair
  3. Good
  4. Very good
  5. Excellent
Comparison of Two Products
  1. Much worse
  2. Somewhat worse
  3. About the same
  4. Somewhat better
  5. Much better
Level of Responsibility
  1. Not at all responsible
  2. Somewhat responsible
  3. Mostly responsible
  4. Completely responsible
Level of Influence
  1. Not at all influential
  2. Slightly influential
  3. Somewhat influential
  4. Very influential
  5. Extremely influential

Vagias, Wade M. (2006). Likert-type scale response anchors. Clemson International Institute for Tourism & Research Development, Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management. Clemson University.