When you use a 5-point Likert scale, the person answering the question can, supposedly, better understand what option he or she should choose for his or her answer.
However, there is some research showing, that 7 and even 9-point Likert scales are at least as good as 5-point sales in terms of answer quality. The respondent just checks his or her answers intuitively. In addition to that, 7 and 9-point Likert scales tend to produce better distributions of data.
My advice would be to use a 5-point scale for a larger study (N>100), but in a smaller study (N
A very helpfull reference is the book of Robert F. DeVellis - Scale Development: Theory and Applications (Applied Social Research Methods)
In this book you can find an answer to your question
When you use a 5-point Likert scale, the person answering the question can, supposedly, better understand what option he or she should choose for his or her answer.
However, there is some research showing, that 7 and even 9-point Likert scales are at least as good as 5-point sales in terms of answer quality. The respondent just checks his or her answers intuitively. In addition to that, 7 and 9-point Likert scales tend to produce better distributions of data.
My advice would be to use a 5-point scale for a larger study (N>100), but in a smaller study (N
Leung, S. (2011) A Comparison of Psychometric Properties and Normality in 4-, 5-, 6-, and 11-Point Likert Scales
After reading this article, I have more senses about Likert Scales and the way choosing the point.
Thank you Chamalla for the information provided and taking the time to extrapolate the main points. Ive been looking for some support for my thesis and this is really useful thanks.
Michelle
Why do you use 5 point Likert scale and not 7 point Likert scale for getting responses? How do both the 5 point and 7 point Likert scales differ?
You can also consider the following RG links:
https://www.researchgate.net/post/Which_Likert_scale_should_I_prefer_that_of_1-4_1-5_or_1-7
https://www.researchgate.net/post/How_can_I_explain_why_I_am_using_five_likert_scale_for_my_questionnaires
https://www.researchgate.net/post/When_should_one_switch_to_the_10-item_Likert_scale
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