Glossary
Likert scale
A symmetric agree-disagree rating scale, often 5 or 7 points.
A Likert scale measures attitude strength along a balanced continuum, typically Strongly disagree → Disagree → Neutral → Agree → Strongly agree. The points must be symmetric and the endpoints labelled so respondents interpret the steps consistently.
Five points suit most attitudes; seven points add resolution when you expect strong, varied opinions. An even number of points removes the neutral midpoint and forces a lean - useful when fence-sitting is unhelpful, but it can frustrate respondents who genuinely have no view.
A matrix question stacks many Likert rows that share one set of columns, which is space-efficient but causes respondent fatigue and straight-lining (picking the same column down the whole grid). Keep matrices short and consider breaking long ones across pages in a multi-page form.