Rating Scales: Research Scholar Zainab Saleem

Rating Scales
Research Scholar
Zainab Saleem
Scaling Defined
• The term scaling refers to procedures for

attempting to determine quantitative
measures of subjective and sometimes
abstract concepts.
• It is defined as a procedure for the

assignment of numbers to a property of
objects in order to impart some of the
characteristics of numbers to the
properties in question.
Rating Scale
Measurement scales that allow a respondent

to register the degree (or amount) of a
characteristic or attribute possessed by
an object directly on the scale.
Attitude rating scales
Attitude:
An enduring disposition to
consistently respond to various
aspect of the world, including
persons, events and objects
Typically seen as having three
components:
Cognitive
Affective
Behavioral
i. Affective
• The feelings or emotions toward an object

ii. Cognitive
• Knowledge and beliefs

iii. Behavioral
Predisposition to action
Intentions
Behavioral expectations
Unidimensional Multidimensional
Scaling Scaling
Procedures Procedures
designed to designed to measure
measure only one several dimensions
attribute of a of a respondent or
respondent or object
object
Six main types of rating scales:
1. Category scale
2. Semantic differential scale
3. Stapel scale
4. Likert scale (Summated ratings scale)
5. Constant sum scale
6. Graphic scale
1. Category Scale
• A rating scale which the response options provided for a closed-

ended question are labeled with specific verbal descriptions.
Example:
Please rate car model A on each of the following dimensions:
Poor Fair Good V.good Excellent
a) Durability [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]
(b) Fuel consumption [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]

Characteristics
• Response options are still verbal descriptions.
• Response categories are usually ordered

according to a particular descriptive or evaluative
dimension.
• Therefore scale has ordinal properties.
• However, researchers often assume that it

possesses interval properties but this is only an
assumption.
** One special version is the Simple category
scale.
Simple Category Scale
• A category scale with only two response
categories (or scale points) both of which are
labeled.
Example:
Please rate brand A on each of the following
dimensions:
poor excellent
(a) Durability [ ] [ ]
(b) Fuel consumption [ ] [ ]

Semantic Differential Scale
• A rating scale in which bipolar adjectives are placed at both
ends (or poles) of the scale, and response options are
expressed as “semantic” space.
Example:
Please rate car model A on each of the following dimensions:

Durable ---:-X-:---:---:---:---:--- Not durable
Low fuel consumption ---:---:---:---:---:-X-:--- High fuel consumption

Characteristics
1. The scale has properties of an

interval scale.
2. Sometimes descriptive phrases are

used instead of bipolar adjectives,
especially when it is difficult to get
adjectives that are exact opposites
3. It is often used to construct an

image profile.
3. Stapel Scale
A simplified version of the semantic differential scale
in which a single adjective or descriptive phrase
is used instead of bipolar adjectives.
Example:
Model A
-3 -2 -1 Durable Car 1 2 3
-3 -2 -1 Good Fuel Conaumption 1 2 3
Characteristics
1. The scale measures both the direction

and intensity of the attribute
simultaneously.
2. It has properties similar to the semantic

differential.
4. Constant-Sum Scale
• A rating scale in which respondents divide a
constant sum among different attributes of an
object (usually to indicate the relative importance
of each attribute).
• Assumed to have ratio level properties.
Example: Divide 100 points among the following

dimensions to indicate their level of importance
to you when you purchase a car:
Durability
Fuel Consumption
Total 100
Numerical Scale
• Any rating scale in which numbers rather than semantic
space or verbal descriptions are used as response
options.
Examples:
Poor Excellent
Durability 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Durable 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Not durable

5. Graphic Ratings Scales
• Rating scales in which respondents rate an object on a

graphic continuum, usually a straight line.
• Modified versions are the ladder scale and happy face

scale.
Characteristics
1. The straight line scale has ratio level

properties.
2. The ladder and happy face scales have

properties depending on the labeling
option chosen – whether all response
categories are labeled (ordinal properties)
or only the scale end-points are labeled
(interval properties).
6. The Likert Scale
• A multiple item rating scale in which the degree of an attribute
possessed by an object is determined by asking respondents to agree
or disagree with a series of positive and/or negative statements
describing the object.
• Example:
Attitude toward buying from the Internet
Totally Totally
disagree Disagree Neutral Agree agree
a) Shopping takes much longer on the Internet [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]
b) It is a good thing that Saudi consumers have
the opportunity to buy products through the [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]
c) Buying products over the Internet is not a
sensible thing to do [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]
Characteristics
• The following procedure is used to analyze
data from Likert scales:
1. First, weights are assigned to the responses

options, e.g. Totally agree=1, Agree=2, etc
2. Then negatively-worded statements are

reverse-coded (or reverse scored). E.g. a
score of 2 for a negatively-worded statement
with a 5-point response options is equivalent
to a score of 4 on an equivalent positive
statement.
1. Next, scores are summed across statements
to arrive at a total (or summated) score.
2. Each respondent’s score can then be

compared with the mean score or the scores
of other respondents to determine his level of
attitude, loyalty, or other construct that is
being measured
• Note that the response for each individual

statement is expressed on a category scale.
Characteristics Different Types of Rating Scales
Rating Scale Subject must: Advantages Disadvantages

1. Simple attitude scaling
2.Category scale Indicate a response Flexible, easy to respond Ambiguous items, few
category categories, only gross
distinction.
3. Likert scale Evaluate statements on a Easiest scale to construct Hard to judge what a single
5-point scale score means
4. Semantic differential and Choose points between Easy to construct, norms Bipolar adjectives must be
numerical scales bipolar adjectives on exist for comparison, e.g. found, data may be ordinal,
relative dimensions profile analysis not interval
5. Constant sum scale Divide a construct sum Scale approximates an Difficult for respondents with
among response interval measure low education levels
alternatives
6. Stapel scale Choose point on scale Easier to construct than Endpoints are numerical,
with 1 center adjective semantic differential not verbal.
7. Graphic scale Choose a point on a Visual impact, unlimited scale No standard answers
continuum points
8. Graphic scale-picture Choose a visual picture Visual impact, easy for poor Hard to attach a verbal
response readers explanation to response
Issues In Selecting A Measurement
Scale
1. Whether to use single or index measure.
2. Whether to use a ranking, sorting, choice, or

rating scale.
3. Whether to use monadic or comparative scale.

• Monadic rating scale is one in which
respondents evaluate an object in isolation
• Comparative scale is one in which the object
is evaluated in relation to other objects
• Construction and labeling is different for
monadic and comparative scales
4. Whether to use category labels or not.
5. If the decision is to use category labels, what

labels to use.
6. Number of response options (scale categories) to
use, i.e. whether to use 2, 3, 4, 5, etc response
categories
• In general, the larger the number of categories
the more sensitive the scale is; but also the
more difficult it is for respondents to answer
7. Whether to use balanced or unbalanced scale.

• A balanced scale has an equal number of
points to the left and right of a mid-point. An
unbalanced scale has more response options
on one side than the other
8. Whether the scale should force choice among the

response categories, i.e. should the scale contain
a “neutral” or “don’t know” category.

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Rating Scales

• The term scaling refers to procedures for

• It is defined as a procedure for the

Measurement scales that allow a respondent

• The feelings or emotions toward an object

• Knowledge and beliefs

2. Semantic differential scale

4. Likert scale (Summated ratings scale)

5. Constant sum scale

• A rating scale which the response options provided for a closed-

Please rate car model A on each of the following dimensions:

Poor Fair Good V.good Excellent

(b) Fuel consumption [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]

• Response options are still verbal descriptions.

• Response categories are usually ordered

• Therefore scale has ordinal properties.

• However, researchers often assume that it

(b) Fuel consumption [ ] [ ]

Please rate car model A on each of the following dimensions:

Low fuel consumption ---:---:---:---:---:-X-:--- High fuel consumption

1. The scale has properties of an

2. Sometimes descriptive phrases are

3. It is often used to construct an

1. The scale measures both the direction

2. It has properties similar to the semantic

Example: Divide 100 points among the following

Durable 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Not durable

• Rating scales in which respondents rate an object on a

• Modified versions are the ladder scale and happy face

1. The straight line scale has ratio level

2. The ladder and happy face scales have

1. First, weights are assigned to the responses

2. Then negatively-worded statements are

2. Each respondent’s score can then be

• Note that the response for each individual

Rating Scale Subject must: Advantages Disadvantages

2. Whether to use a ranking, sorting, choice, or

3. Whether to use monadic or comparative scale.

4. Whether to use category labels or not.

5. If the decision is to use category labels, what

7. Whether to use balanced or unbalanced scale.

8. Whether the scale should force choice among the

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