Median Distance Model for Likert-Type Items in Contingency Table Analysis

Abstract

Likert-type items (questions) are a widely used scale in questionnaire design. The “neutral” or “undecided” option may lead to misinterpretation and confusion about the results. This paper proposes two novel log-linear models to measure how much accumulation of the neutral option over the contingency tables at any question levels. These models also test the odds that a respondent’s level how far from the median. These models will help the researchers how to incorporate the neutral option in conceptual frameworks.

Keywords

• Likert-type items
• association models
• ordinal variables
• contingency table
• log-linear models