Definition

Likert scale

The survey format asking respondents to rate agreement on a symmetric scale (e.g. strongly disagree → strongly agree), typically with 5 or 7 points.

A Likert scale, strictly, is a set of such items summed or averaged into a score; a single item is a Likert-type item. Multi-item scales smooth individual-item noise and permit reliability estimates (Cronbach’s alpha).

The analysis debate: single items are ordinal (rank-based tests are safest), while averaged multi-item scores are conventionally treated as continuous, making t-tests and ANOVA acceptable. Balanced wording, a considered midpoint, and validated item sets matter more than the point count.