Residential College | false |
Status | 已發表Published |
Can Likert Scales be Treated as Interval Scales?A Simulation Study | |
Huiping Wu1; Shing-On Leung2 | |
2017 | |
Source Publication | JOURNAL OF SOCIAL SERVICE RESEARCH |
ISSN | 0148-8376 |
Volume | 43Issue:4Pages:527-532 |
Abstract | The Likert scale is widely used in social work research, and is commonly constructed with four to seven points. It is usually treated as an interval scale, but strictly speaking it is an ordinal scale, where arithmetic operations cannot be conducted. There are pros and cons in using the Likert scale as an interval scale, but the controversy can be handled by increasing the number of points. Several researchers have suggested bringing the number up to eleven, on the basis of empirical data. In this article the authors explore this rational and share the same view, but simulate artificial data from both symmetrical normal and skewed distributions where the underlying metric is known in advance. Results show that more Likert scale points will result in a closer approach to the underlying distribution, and hence normality and interval scales. To increase generalizability social work practitioners are encouraged to use 11-point Likert scales from 0 to 10, a natural and easily comprehensible range. |
Keyword | Likert Scale Ordinal Scale Interval Scale Normality |
DOI | 10.1080/01488376.2017.1329775 |
URL | View the original |
Indexed By | SSCI |
Language | 英語English |
WOS Research Area | Social Work |
WOS Subject | Social Work |
WOS ID | WOS:000410919100008 |
Publisher | ROUTLEDGE JOURNALS, TAYLOR & FRANCIS LTD |
The Source to Article | WOS |
Scopus ID | 2-s2.0-85020264789 |
Fulltext Access | |
Citation statistics | |
Document Type | Journal article |
Collection | Faculty of Education |
Corresponding Author | Shing-On Leung |
Affiliation | 1.College of Mathematics and Computer Science, Fujian Normal University, Fujian, China 2.Faculty of Education, University of Macau, Macau, China |
Corresponding Author Affilication | Faculty of Education |
Recommended Citation GB/T 7714 | Huiping Wu,Shing-On Leung. Can Likert Scales be Treated as Interval Scales?A Simulation Study[J]. JOURNAL OF SOCIAL SERVICE RESEARCH, 2017, 43(4), 527-532. |
APA | Huiping Wu., & Shing-On Leung (2017). Can Likert Scales be Treated as Interval Scales?A Simulation Study. JOURNAL OF SOCIAL SERVICE RESEARCH, 43(4), 527-532. |
MLA | Huiping Wu,et al."Can Likert Scales be Treated as Interval Scales?A Simulation Study".JOURNAL OF SOCIAL SERVICE RESEARCH 43.4(2017):527-532. |
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