Using Likert scalesUsing Likert scales

Fabio Pittaluga

FAO – Fisheries Department

ObjectiveObjective

Introduce concept of “scaleable attribute”- Introduce concept of “scaleable attribute”- or Likert scaleor Likert scale

Turn abstract concepts (vulnerability) into Turn abstract concepts (vulnerability) into empirically observable elementsempirically observable elements

Construct set of scales to understand Construct set of scales to understand vulnerability (group exercise)vulnerability (group exercise)

Measuring livelihood aspectsMeasuring livelihood aspects

Social capitalSocial capitalLeadershipLeadershipConflictConflictMutual aid networksMutual aid networks……....

VulnerabilityVulnerabilityExposure to risk factorsExposure to risk factorsCapacity to respondCapacity to respondCommunity vs. individual responsesCommunity vs. individual responses……..

Likert scalesLikert scales

Today the food at the Today the food at the cafeteria wascafeteria was

Very badVery bad BadBad OKOK GoodGood Very goodVery good

Types of statementsTypes of statementsEXAMPLE

People know smoking damages lungs

People smoke anyhow

Smoking provides social distinction

Attitude

Cognitive

Behavioral

Types of statementsTypes of statements

NoneNone FewFew SomeSome ManyMany AllAll

STATUS

PROCESS

Number of women with access to land for gardens

Crop yields planted over the past 5 years have

Substantially Substantially decreaseddecreased DecreasedDecreased Remained Remained

stablestable IncreasedIncreased Substantially Substantially increasedincreased

Choosing the unit of analysisChoosing the unit of analysis

INDIVIDUALSINDIVIDUALS

GENDER

AGE

ETHNICITY

……

About thecollectivity

About the individual

StatementsStatements

Attributing value to Likert scalesAttributing value to Likert scales

USE SINGLE SCALE

None Low Sufficient Good Fluent

?

None Few Some Many AllLinear

progression

Nonlinear

progression

Direction of responseDirection of response

NoneNone FewFew SomeSome ManyMany AllAll

AllAll ManyMany SomeSome FewFew NoneNone

Number of illiterate adult males in the village

WRONG !!!

How many responses?How many responses?

1 432

51 432

51 432 6

ST

AT

EM

EN

T

How many statements per variable?How many statements per variable?

State of

Natural resources

Institutions

Social capital

Infrastructure

Health

Food

security

Financial

assets

Employment

Education

Coping

mechanismsVulnerability

Access to

resources

State of

Natural resources

Institutions

Social capital

Infrastructure

Health

Food

security

Financial

assets

Employment

Education

Coping

mechanismsVulnerability

Access to

resources

1 Statement

2 Statement

3 Statement

……

How much is enough?

ExampleExample

VULNERABILITYVULNERABILITY

VULNERABILITE

1 Nombre de mois deficitaires par rapport à l'alimentation disponible pendant l'année > 8 6 to 8 4 to 6 2 to 4 < 22 Nombre de ménage qui ont les greniers vides pour plus que 6 mois l'année Aucun Tres peu Quelq'un Beaucoup Tous

3Nombre de mois dans l'année où la produccion du poisson suffie pour acheter suffisamment d'aliments

Aucun Tres peu Quelq'un Beaucoup Tous

4 Nombre de ménage qui n'arrivent pas a produire suffisamment de poisson pour se nourrire Aucun Tres peu Quelq'un Beaucoup Tous

5 Nombre de conflits au village pendant les dernières 5 annéesBeaucoup baissée

Peu diminuéRestées stables

Peu augmenté

Beaucoup augmenté

6 Nombre de conflits entre villages pendant les dernières 5 annéesBeaucoup baissée

Peu diminuéRestées stables

Peu augmenté

Beaucoup augmenté

7 Le nombre de conflits entre villages pendant les dernières 5 années a:Beaucoup baissée

Peu diminuéRestées stables

Peu augmenté

Beaucoup augmenté

8 Les prix des aliments pendants les dernières 5 années a:Beaucoup baissée

Peu diminuéRestées stables

Peu augmenté

Beaucoup augmenté

9 Les prix du poisson pendant les dernières 5 années a:Beaucoup baissée

Peu diminuéRestées stables

Peu augmenté

Beaucoup augmenté

10 Les prix des engins de pêche pendant les dernières 5 années a:Beaucoup baissée

Peu diminuéRestées stables

Peu augmenté

Beaucoup augmenté

11 Les prix du poisson pendant l'année fluctuent Jamais Rarement Quelques fois Souvent Toujours12 Le village est inondé Jamais Rarement Quelques fois Souvent Toujours13 Le village est sujet à la secheresse Jamais Rarement Quelques fois Souvent Toujours

Facilitating analysisFacilitating analysisInclude a self-assessment statement

Very Very badbad BadBad Just Just

rightright GoodGood Very Very goodgood

I believe my overall condition is

Include demographic variables

Gender

Profession

AgeEthnic group

AdvantagesAdvantagesBeneficiaries participate in drafting questionnaire

Individual responses point to intra-household differences

Can convert qualitative observations into quantitative measures

Can be filled in easily by respondent when he/she has time

Select one aspect

Define aspects of vulnerability following scenarios

List possible dimensions

Construct Likert scales to measure dimensions

Select number of statements

Group

exercise

11

33

22

44

55

Issues to consider…Issues to consider…

Do people clearly understand statements?Do people clearly understand statements?

Do statements elicit logical responses?Do statements elicit logical responses?

Is the number of statements sufficient?Is the number of statements sufficient?

Are there too many statements?Are there too many statements?

Is time necessary to fill questionnaire appropriate?Is time necessary to fill questionnaire appropriate?

Group presentationsGroup presentations