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Semantic Differential Scale
A semantic differential scale presents two opposing adjectives at the ends of a 5- or 7-point scale and asks respondents to mark their position between them.
Developed by Charles Osgood in 1957, the semantic differential measures attitudes by anchoring the scale endpoints with bipolar adjectives — e.g., 'Boring 1—2—3—4—5—6—7 Exciting' or 'Complicated 1—2—3—4—5—6—7 Simple.' It excels at brand-image and product-personality measurement where attitudinal nuance matters more than agreement. Compared to Likert scales, semantic differentials reduce acquiescence bias (respondents can't just 'agree') and produce richer multidimensional profiles when multiple pairs are used together.
Example
A brand-tracker uses 8 pairs: Modern—Traditional, Friendly—Cold, Reliable—Unreliable, Cheap—Premium, etc. Brand A scores 5.8 on Modern, 6.1 on Friendly, 4.2 on Premium vs Brand B at 4.1 / 4.8 / 6.5 — revealing a clear positioning difference.
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Likert Scale
A Likert scale is a survey rating scale with ordered response options (typically 5 or 7 points) used to measure attitudes, agreement, or frequency.
Five-Star Rating
A five-star rating is a 1-5 ordinal scale, typically displayed as star icons, used for product reviews, app stores, and lightweight CSAT.
Ranking Question
A ranking question asks respondents to order a set of items by preference, importance, or priority, producing ordinal data on relative preference.
Matrix Question
A matrix question (or grid question) displays multiple sub-questions sharing the same response scale in a table, letting respondents rate many items efficiently.
Response Bias
Response bias is any systematic tendency of respondents to answer questions inaccurately, either intentionally or unconsciously.