For example: Would using a 7 point scale of 0 - 3 in steps of 0.5 give you different results to using a 7 point scale of 0 - 6 in steps of 1? I'm aware that verbal labels are likely to be better but I'm interested in the possible differences between purely numerical scales that use 0.5 or 1 increments.
Thanks.
Hello David,
As the 0-6 scale your describe is a simple, linear transformation of the 0-3 scale (by doubling the scores), there is no statistical or measurement advantage to either. Whether respondents react similarly to the different response scales is an empirical question.
Good luck with your work.
As David Morse notes, there would be no arithmetic difference, so I'm not sure why you want to explore this option. If nothing else, I think low education would be a factor in how well participants understand decimal/fractional response formats.
Thanks for the answers. They make sense. I suppose it's a speculative question as to whether individuals are less likely to choose half numbers on a scale such as 0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5 ... 3 versus the equivalent whole numbers on a 1, 2, 3, 4 - 7 scale.
A naturalistic scale is more intuitive so without knowing the question/construct you are measuring, I would look for a 0-10 option if you must use a numeric scale. 0 is nothing, 10 is completely, etc. We were educated in base ten, not 6s or 7s. I would definitely avoid half units, which only create the need for more abstraction.
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