Slider Scales and Web-Based Surveys: A Cautionary Note

Journal of research practice

Daniel Lee¹  Patty Kero¹ 

[1] The University of Montana

关键词: data analysis;    Likert;    Likert-type;    measurement;    measurement scales;    ordinal data;    slider scale;    visual analog scale;   

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: Journal of research practice

【 摘 要 】

Slider scales (or, visual analog scales) are becoming increasingly popular in web-based surveys. These psychometric response scales utilize Likert-type items in which respondents select a point along a line labelled with bipolar endpoints to indicate their preference or agreement with a statement. This article is a response to an article that appeared earlier in the Journal of Research Practice where the writers treated Likert-type data as interval-level measurements. The authors of this response article contend that it is erroneous to suppose the data obtained by visual analog scales to be quantitative and continuous (on an interval scale) when, in fact, these are discreet data (on an ordinal scale), which are essentially qualitative. Qualitative data are not quantitative and no means of analysis can make it so.

【 授权许可】

CC BY-NC-ND