Likert scaling is a commonly used response scale format for measuring self-reported attitudes toward or beliefs about something (e.g., an idea or a product). Although statements, or “items,” assessing these attitudes or beliefs could be answered with a binary yes/no response scale, Likert-type scales allow for more varied levels of agreement. For example, a researcher may be interested in exploring participants’ attitudes about their own math competence. The researcher would ask participants to rate a set of related declarative statements, such as “I feel competent when completing multiplication problems,” using a rating scale typically composed of five to seven options: 1 = disagree strongly, 2 = disagree, 3 = neutral, 4 = agree, and 5 = agree strongly.

In this example, participants are asked to examine ...