We actually used a 5 point scale in our rating system (Very Dissatisfied --> Very Satisfied ) specifically to give users a "neutral" option, and not force them to show a bias where none exists.
Some people really just dont care, or have factors evenly weighted enough that they cancel out.
On May 20, 2008, at 8:51 AM, Christine Neidley wrote:
Just a quick note: Your hypothesis sounds great. With Likert scales (even if they're using words instead of numbers to rate the participants response) try to use an even number of options. Four is nice. With four options, your participant must to decide between the two poles, but still has room to express the degree to which they agree. So instead of attractive/unattractive, you could have: attractive, somewhat attractive, somewhat unattractive, unattractive (This is just as you were saying in your hypothesis.) I go to a lot of websites that don't necessarily sparkle, but they aren't blaze orange with a looping midi of a Christmas carol. So I know that I'm always grateful for a little bit of room in the middle. One downside of being a Tech Comm graduate student, I have in fact had nightmares about survey reports. I got to breathe, eat, and sleep this stuff for a semester last year. Hope this helps, Christine\
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