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Likert is a surname, so it should be capitalized, at least wikipedia thinks so
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mpiktas
mpiktas
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Is it reasonable to treat a three point likertLikert dependent variable as a continuous variable?

I have a three point likertLikert scale question:

How happy are you?
    1= low levels of happiness 
    2= medium levels 
    3= high levels

I want to do multiple linear regression on the variable. I am making the assumption that that it has the same difference between low and medium and medium and high. I want to treat it as a continuos dependent variable.

I know some people would see this as inappropriate, and there is the age old issue about whether to treat survey data as continuous.

  • But are there any further problems applicable to my dependent variable because it is only on a 3 point scale as opposed to 4 or 5?

Is it reasonable to treat a three point likert dependent variable as a continuous variable?

I have a three point likert scale question:

How happy are you?
    1= low levels of happiness 
    2= medium levels 
    3= high levels

I want to do multiple linear regression on the variable. I am making the assumption that that it has the same difference between low and medium and medium and high. I want to treat it as a continuos dependent variable.

I know some people would see this as inappropriate, and there is the age old issue about whether to treat survey data as continuous.

  • But are there any further problems applicable to my dependent variable because it is only on a 3 point scale as opposed to 4 or 5?

Is it reasonable to treat a three point Likert dependent variable as a continuous variable?

I have a three point Likert scale question:

How happy are you?
    1= low levels of happiness 
    2= medium levels 
    3= high levels

I want to do multiple linear regression on the variable. I am making the assumption that that it has the same difference between low and medium and medium and high. I want to treat it as a continuos dependent variable.

I know some people would see this as inappropriate, and there is the age old issue about whether to treat survey data as continuous.

  • But are there any further problems applicable to my dependent variable because it is only on a 3 point scale as opposed to 4 or 5?
deleted 7 characters in body; edited tags; edited title
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Jeromy Anglim
Jeromy Anglim
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I have Is it reasonable to treat a 3three point likert dependent variable, can I treat it as a continuous variable?

I have a three point likert scale question:

How happy are you?
    1= low levels of happiness 
    2= medium levels 
    3= high levels

I want to do multiple linear regression on the variable. I am making the assumption that that my 3 point likert scale question, ('How happy are you?' 1= low levels of happiness 2= medium levels 3= high levels)it has the same difference between low and medium and medium and happyhigh. I want to treat it as a continuos dependent variable. 

I know some people would disagreesee this as inappropriate, and there is the age old discussion about treatingissue about whether to treat survey data as continuous but are there any further problems applicable to my dependent variable because it iso nly on a 3 point scale as opposed to 4 or 5? I want to do multiple linear regression on this. Thanks!

  • But are there any further problems applicable to my dependent variable because it is only on a 3 point scale as opposed to 4 or 5?

I have a 3 point likert dependent variable, can I treat it as a continuous variable?

I am making the assumption that that my 3 point likert scale question, ('How happy are you?' 1= low levels of happiness 2= medium levels 3= high levels) has the same difference between low and medium and medium and happy. I want to treat it as a continuos dependent variable. I know some people would disagree and there is the age old discussion about treating survey data as continuous but are there any further problems applicable to my dependent variable because it iso nly on a 3 point scale as opposed to 4 or 5? I want to do multiple linear regression on this. Thanks!

Is it reasonable to treat a three point likert dependent variable as a continuous variable?

I have a three point likert scale question:

How happy are you?
    1= low levels of happiness 
    2= medium levels 
    3= high levels

I want to do multiple linear regression on the variable. I am making the assumption that that it has the same difference between low and medium and medium and high. I want to treat it as a continuos dependent variable. 

I know some people would see this as inappropriate, and there is the age old issue about whether to treat survey data as continuous.

  • But are there any further problems applicable to my dependent variable because it is only on a 3 point scale as opposed to 4 or 5?
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Laila
Laila
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I have a 3 point likert dependent variable, can I treat it as a continuous variable?

I am making the assumption that that my 3 point likert scale question, ('How happy are you?' 1= low levels of happiness 2= medium levels 3= high levels) has the same difference between low and medium and medium and happy. I want to treat it as a continuos dependent variable. I know some people would disagree and there is the age old discussion about treating survey data as continuous but are there any further problems applicable to my dependent variable because it iso nly on a 3 point scale as opposed to 4 or 5? I want to do multiple linear regression on this. Thanks!