What is a Likert scale primarily used for?

A Likert scale is primarily used to assess attitudes or opinions by allowing respondents to express their level of agreement or disagreement with a series of statements. This type of scale typically includes a range of options, such as "strongly agree," "agree," "neutral," "disagree," and "strongly disagree," which provides a quantifiable measure of subjective opinions and attitudes. By using a Likert scale, researchers can gauge the intensity of feelings or attitudes toward a specific subject, making it a valuable tool in fields like marketing, psychology, and social sciences where understanding consumer sentiment is crucial.

In contrast, other options focus on different methodologies or analytical purposes. Collecting open-ended feedback does not specify a quantitative measure, while measuring statistical significance pertains to inferential statistics rather than opinion assessment. Competitive analysis involves evaluating competitors’ strengths and weaknesses, which is unrelated to the subjective measurement of attitudes typically facilitated by a Likert scale. Thus, the role of the Likert scale is primarily focused on capturing and quantifying personal attitudes and opinions.