Semantic Differential Rating Scale

Meaning of Semantic Differential Scale

Semantic differential scales are also a type of rating scale. So let us examine what makes semantic differential scales different from other scales and when they are best used.

What do we mean by a semantic differential scale?

Semantic differential scales do not measure attitudes directly like Likert scales but indirectly by asking you to rate the importance of a concept (such as a product or event) on a continuum.

Semantic differential scales are based on connotative meanings; they measure what feelings you associate with a concept.

Figure 1. Connotative meanings reflect our attitudes.

Semantic Differential Scale Examples

The inventor of the semantic differential scale, Charles Egerton Osgood, distinguished three dimensions of attitudes:

1. Evaluation

2. Potency

3. Activity

Evaluation determines a person’s attitude, usually noting whether they view the subject positively or negatively.

An example response showing how the semantic differential scale evaluates social media includes adding five response options between opposite adjectives (positive-negative).

Fig. 1. Evaluation is used to measure the connotations of attitudes.

Measuring potency indicates how strong the issue we are dealing with is for that person. The highest and lowest points on the scales can indicate potency in terms of excitable to calm, for instance.

Fig. 2. Potency determines how strongly someone feels about something.

Activity indicates how ‘active’ the subject is; one example is one side of the scale indicating active and the opposite end indicating passive.

Fig. 3. measuring activity using semantic differential rating scales can be used to determine how often a consumer exercises after receiving a fitness product.

Semantic Differential Scales Uses

Semantic difference scales can assess people’s attitudes towards a product.

Semantic differential scales can assess customer satisfaction.

They can also be used to rate your personality traits.

Semantic Differential Scale Advantages

The semantic differential scale advantages are:

• The semantic differential scale is easy to administer and understandable to respondents.

• Since there are several options between the semantic extremes, respondents can give answers that accurately reflect their feelings and attitudes.

• Responses are intuitive and based on participants’ subjective feelings but still result in quantitative data that can then be analysed and summarised to understand people’s attitudes.

• Semantic differential scales are generally considered valid and reliable.

Semantic Differential Scale Disadvantages

• Designing appropriate semantic differential scales can be challenging because deciding which adjectives are most appropriate for assessing the concept and which concepts are important to the study is tedious.

  • The researcher must also decide how many options to include between the two opposing adjectives. Too many options can reduce accuracy, but too few options can reduce the sensitivity of the measurement.

• Another problem with semantic differential scales is that participants sometimes find it difficult to rank their views on the continuum and tend to tick only the extreme values.

• Semantic differential scales measure subjective attitudes; ticking the same point on a continuum between adjectives may mean different things to different people.

• Social desirability bias may influence participants’ responses when measuring socially sensitive concepts such as undesirable behaviour (cheating or stealing) or undesirable views (prejudice).