How to Interpret 4-Point Likert Scale Results?

Visualizing ranking data is one of the strategies you can use to make your data stories persuasive.

Our brains are engineered to recognize rank in visual content instantly. We recommend using ranking data visualization charts to create compelling narratives for your audiences (and readers).

Why?

The ranking data charts display insights in a particular order. And it can either be bottom-up or top-down.

The expert-recommended ranking data visualization design is a 4-Point Likert Scale Chart.

It’s a forced Likert scale. The reason it is named as such is that the user is forced to form an opinion. So, there is no safe ‘neutral’ option. Excel does not natively support the 4-Point Scale. If you’re an ardent user of the spreadsheet application, you’ve got to explore other options.

It turns out you don’t have to do away with Excel. You can download and install a particular add-in to access 4-Point Scale charts, plus more.

In this blog, you’ll learn the following:

Table of Content:

1. What is a 4-Point Likert Scale?
2. Video Tutorials:
3. Why use a Four-Point Likert Scale?
4. When Should You Use a 4-Point Likert Scale?
5. 5 Point vs. 4 Point Likert Scale
6. 4-Point Likert Scale Interpretations
7. Key Characteristics
8. Components
9. 4-Point Likert Scale Examples
10. How to Create a 4-Point Likert Scale?
11. 4-Point Scale Questionnaire
12. 4-Point Likert Scale Template
13. How to Calculate a 4-Point Likert Scale?
14. Range of 4-Point Likert Scale
15. How to Interpret 4-Point Likert Scale Results?
16. How to Edit a 4-Point Likert Scale?
17. Advantages
18. Limitations
19. FAQ
20. Wrap Up

Before diving right into the how-to guide, we’ll address the following question:

What is a 4-Point Likert Scale?

Definition: A 4-point Likert scale is a type of rating system often used in surveys and questionnaires to measure people’s attitudes or perceptions. It includes four response options, typically ranging from “Strongly Disagree” to “Strongly Agree” and intentionally leaves out a neutral choice.

By removing the middle ground, this scale encourages respondents to pick a side, which can result in clearer and decisive feedback compared to a 5-point scale.

Video Tutorials:

Why use a Four-Point Likert Scale?

This is a popular tool in surveys and research to measure attitudes and opinions. While 5-point and 7-point scales are commonly used, the Four-Point version offers specific advantages:

1. Eliminates Neutral Bias (Forced-Choice Design)
   Removing the neutral option forces respondents to take a stance, resulting in more decisive and actionable data.
2. Reduces Social Desirability Bias
   The lack of a neutral choice minimizes the tendency to select non-controversial answers, leading to more honest feedback.
3. Ideal for Binary-Like Decisions
   It’s perfect for scenarios where a clear division between agreement and disagreement is needed, like customer satisfaction surveys.
4. Better for Comparative Studies
   The absence of neutrality makes it easier to detect shifts in opinions, ideal for comparing groups or before-and-after results.

When Should You Use a 4-Point Likert Scale?

This scale is best used when you want to avoid neutral or indecisive responses and encourage participants to lean toward agreement or disagreement.

• You want clearer opinions: It forces respondents to pick a side (agree/disagree).
• Neutrality is not informative: If you’re testing strong attitudes or satisfaction, where indecisiveness may hinder insights.
• You need decisive action based on responses: Such as in customer satisfaction, employee feedback, or political attitude surveys.
• You aim to reduce central tendency bias: Some respondents habitually choose the middle option—removing it can improve data quality.

5 Point vs. 4 Point Likert Scale

4-Point Likert Scale Interpretations

We can be interpreted in various ways depending on the context and the specific labels assigned to each point. Here are a few possible interpretations:

4-Point Scale for Agreement

• 1: Strongly Disagree
• 2: Disagree
• 3: Agree
• 4: Strongly Agree

In this interpretation, the scale measures the degree of agreement with a statement or opinion.

4-Point Scale for Frequency

• 1: Never
• 2: Rarely
• 3: Occasionally
• 4: Always

This scale could be used to assess the frequency of a behavior or occurrence.

4-Point Scale for Importance

• 1: Not Important
• 2: Somewhat Important
• 3: Important
• 4: Very Important

Here, the scale gauges the perceived importance of a particular factor or attribute.

4-Point Scale for Likelihood

• 1: Not Likely
• 2: Unlikely
• 3: Likely
• 4: Very Likely

This interpretation assesses the likelihood of a future event or behavior.

4-Point Scale for Satisfaction

• 1: Very Dissatisfied
• 2: Dissatisfied
• 3: Satisfied
• 4: Very Satisfied

This scale measures the level of satisfaction with a product, service, or experience.

Key Characteristics

• No Neutral Option:

Forces respondents to choose a definitive opinion, removing middle-ground responses.

• Forced Choice:

Respondents must pick between two opposing viewpoints, providing clearer data.

• Clear Interpretation:

Fewer options lead to more straightforward and unambiguous results.

• Statistical Analysis:

Facilitates easier data analysis by offering distinct, quantifiable responses.

Components

Check out the components of a Four-Point Scale below.

• Related Questions

Questions should be easily related to the sentence’s answers, regardless of whether the relationship between the item and sentence is evident.

• Scale type

Survey participants’ responses should always have two extreme positions.

• The number of answer options

The more items on this Scale, the higher the reliability of insights produced.

• Lack of a neutral option

Eliminating the neutral option in an even-point scale forces respondents to take a clear stance.

Note the difference after visualizing the data using a 4-Point Scale, as shown below.

4-Point Likert Scale Examples

• This could offer the following response choices:

1. 1. Strongly Disagree
   2. Disagree
   3. Agree
   4. Strongly Agree

Some real-life use cases are below:

Customer Satisfaction:

• How satisfied are you with our customer service?
  • Very Dissatisfied
  • Dissatisfied
  • Satisfied
  • Very Satisfied

Service Speed:

• How would you rate the speed of service you received?
  • Very Slow
  • Slow
  • Fast
  • Very Fast

Work Environment:

• How do you feel about the work environment in your office?
  • Very Uncomfortable
  • Uncomfortable
  • Comfortable
  • Very Comfortable

Training Effectiveness:

• How effective was the training session you attended?
  • Not Effective
  • Slightly Effective
  • Moderately Effective
  • Very Effective

How to Create a 4-Point Likert Scale?

Follow the steps below religiously.

• Assign your survey questionnaire a scale from 1 to 4. For instance, depending on the scale, assign 1 to “very poor” and 4 to “excellent.”
• Gather raw data.
• Use a 4-point scale to visualize the data for in-depth insights.

4-Point Scale Questionnaire

A 4-point scale questionnaire is a type of survey where respondents are asked to indicate their level of agreement or disagreement with a series of statements on a four-point scale. The typical points on a 4-Likert Scale are:

1. Strongly Disagree
2. Disagree
3. Agree
4. Strongly Agree

4-Point Likert Scale Template

How to Calculate a 4-Point Likert Scale?

Assign Values:

• Strongly Disagree = 1
• Disagree = 2
• Agree = 3
• Strongly Agree = 4

4-Likert Scale Formula:

                                       Mean =Sum of all responses/Number of responses”‹

Find Frequency and Percentage:

• Frequency: Count how many times each option is selected.
• Percentage: Percentage = (Frequency of an option/Total responses)*100
• Determine Mode: The most frequently chosen response.

Range of 4-Point Likert Scale

The range of a 4-point Likert scale is from 1 to 4.

1.  Strongly Disagree
2. Disagree
3. Agree
4. Strongly Agree

Calculating Range:

To find the range of responses:

1. Identify the Highest Value: 4 (Strongly Agree)
2. Identify the Lowest Value: 1 (Strongly Disagree)
3. Calculate Range:  

Range = Highest Value – Lowest Value

Range=4-1=3

The range =  3.

4-Point Likert Scale Range Interpretation

1. Strongly Disagree
2. Disagree
3. Agree
4. Strongly Agree

How to Interpret 4-Point Likert Scale Results?

Excel is a trusted data visualization tool because it’s familiar to many. However, the spreadsheet application lacks a ready-made four-point scale chart.

We understand that switching tools is not an easy task.

This is why we’re not advocating you ditch Excel in favor of other expensive data visualization tools.

There’s an easy-to-use and amazingly affordable visualization tool called ChartExpo. It comes as an add-in you can easily install in your app to access ready-made survey charts, such as the 4-Point Likert Scale.

So, what is ChartExpo?

ChartExpo is an incredibly intuitive Excel add-in that you can easily install in your Excel without watching hours of YouTube tutorials.

With many ready-to-go visualizations, the app turns your complex, raw data into compelling, easy-to-digest charts in Excel and Google Sheets that tell the data stories in real time.

You don’t want to miss this!

Example

This section will use a 4-Point Scale to display insights from the table discussed above.

Question	Rating	Count
The virtual models of customized products are realistic	1	324
The virtual models of customized products are realistic	2	176
The virtual models of customized products are realistic	3	230
The virtual models of customized products are realistic	4	270
The virtual models of customized products are realistic	5	0
The information about customized components is clearly identified	1	138
The information about customized components is clearly identified	2	186
The information about customized components is clearly identified	3	176
The information about customized components is clearly identified	4	230
The information about customized components is clearly identified	5	270
The variety of customized products are satisfactory	1	0
The variety of customized products are satisfactory	2	138
The variety of customized products are satisfactory	3	186
The variety of customized products are satisfactory	4	176
The variety of customized products is satisfactory	5	500
Image rotation is useful for viewing the product from different angles	1	5
Image rotation is useful for viewing the product from different angles	2	100
Image rotation is useful for viewing the product from different angles	3	146
Image rotation is useful for viewing the product from different angles	4	116
Image rotation is useful for viewing the  product from different angles	5	420

• To install ChartExpo into your Excel, click this link.
• Open the worksheet and click the Insert button to access the My Apps option.

• Select the ChartExpo add-in and click the Insert button.

• Once the interface below loads. In this case, look for “Likert Scale Chart” in the list.

• Select the data in the worksheet and click the Create Chart from the Selection button, as shown below.

• Check out the final chart below.

ChartExpo will generate a 5-point Scale by default. To change the chart to a 4-point Scale, follow the instructions below:

How to Edit a 4-Point Likert Scale?

• Click the Chart Setting buttons.
• Once the Chart Setting window shows, click the Scale Type button to see a drop-down.
• Select 4 in the drop-down, as shown below.

• Click the Apply button, as shown above.
• Check out the final 4-Point Scale Chart below.

Insights:

• Virtual models and information clarity are generally well-received.
• The variety of customized products may need improvement, as evident from the dissatisfaction indicated by some respondents.
• Image rotation is a highly valued feature, contributing positively to the overall user experience.

Advantages

• More Specific Responses: Forces clearer, more definitive answers.
• Better for Certain Research Goals: Ideal for focused studies requiring distinct opinions.
• Simpler Interpretation: Easier to analyze with fewer response options.
• Reduces Central Tendency Bias: Minimizes the tendency to avoid extreme choices.
• Encourages Thoughtful Responses: Prompts respondents to provide stronger opinions.

Limitations

• No Neutral Option: It forces respondents to choose a side, which can skew results if they feel neutral.
• Less Detail: The limited options may not capture the full range of opinions.
• Response Bias: Without a neutral choice, respondents might select extremes, affecting data accuracy.
• Reduced Analysis: Fewer response points limit the depth of statistical analysis.

FAQ

Why is 4 point Likert scale better than 5?

How to get the range in 4 Likert scale?

Is a 4-Point Likert Scale ordinal?

A 4-Point Likert Scale is a one-dimensional scale you can use to collect the attitudes and opinions of your target market.

It uses an ordinal scale to help you understand the views and perspectives of the market towards your brand. Besides, it has different variants to help your business personalize its communication.

Wrap Up

Visualizing survey data is one of the strategies you can use to make your data stories persuasive.

Our brains are engineered to recognize rank in visual content instantly. We recommend using ranking data visualization charts such as survey charts to create compelling narratives for your audiences (and readers).

Why?

The ranking data charts display insights in a particular order. This order can be bottom-up or the other way around.

The expert-recommended ranking data visualization design is a 4-point Scale Chart.

So, what is a 4-point Scale Chart?

It’s a  ‘forced’ Likert scale. The reason it is named as such is that the user is forced to form an opinion. There is no safe ‘neutral’ option.

Excel does not natively support a 4-point scale.

So, what’s the solution?

We recommend you install third-party apps, such as ChartExpo, to access the ready-to-use.

ChartExpo is an Excel add-in packed with insightful, ready-to-use survey visualization templates. You don’t need any programming or coding skills to get started.

Sign up for a 7-day free trial today to access professionally designed Likert Scale Charts that are easy to interpret and visually appealing to your target audience.

Related Articles

• Likert Scale
• 3-Point Likert Scale
• 5-Point Likert Scale 
• 6-Point Likert Scale
• 7-Point Likert Scale