Re: Definitions of Likert scale, Likert item, etc.

[Robert J. MacG. Dawson]

Alan McLean wrote:

> The composite variable or measure (hopefully) has a reasonably
> numeric scale.

        I don't think (in light of the Central Limit Theorem) that the problem
is whether the composite's "reasonably numeric". It is. The problem,
when the data's given the usual ANOVic treatment, is what the heck the
mean means.
        
In some circumstances the only important thing is how many people
"strongly agree" and the Laodiceans can be lumped with the naysayers. In
other circumstances other interpretations apply. Taking the arithmetic
mean of  "Likert" data fudges this issue.


        -Robert Dawson


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