Response scale
At Brilliant, we use a 5-point scale because it provides a good balance between simplicity and nuance.
With, for example, a 4- or 6-point scale, respondents are forced to lean towards either a positive or negative response because there is no neutral midpoint. This can be useful if the intention is to avoid neutral responses, but it can also create an artificial position. For more sensitive questions, such as “Does your manager lead your team well?”, it can also be valuable to include a neutral response option. A 7-point scale provides greater precision, but the differences between adjacent response options can be more difficult to interpret consistently. Respondents may, for example, find it difficult to distinguish reliably between a 5 and a 6.
The benefits of a 5-point scale are:
- It is quick and easy to understand
- It includes a natural midpoint
- It provides sufficient variation for analysis