Free tool · Chapter 4
Likert scale mean calculator
Enter how many respondents chose each option and get the mean, standard deviation and decision for every statement — with a Chapter 4 table you can paste into Word.
Scale
Type how many respondents chose each option for every statement. The example rows show the format — replace them with your own.
Table 4.1: Mean responses of respondents
Criterion mean = 3.00
| S/N | Statement | SA | A | U | D | SD | Mean | Std. dev. | Decision |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | I know what cyberbullying is | 62 | 88 | 15 | 20 | 15 | 3.81 | 1.20 | Accepted |
| 2 | I report online abuse to a teacher | 18 | 42 | 30 | 64 | 46 | 2.61 | 1.29 | Rejected |
| 3 | My school teaches online safety | 40 | 70 | 25 | 40 | 25 | 3.30 | 1.33 | Accepted |
| Grand mean | 3.24 | Accepted | |||||||
For your Chapter 4
Table 4.1 shows the mean responses on a 5-point scale, with 3.00 as the criterion mean: items with a mean of 3.00 or above were accepted, and items below it were rejected. Respondents agreed with I know what cyberbullying is (x̄ = 3.81) and My school teaches online safety (x̄ = 3.30). They disagreed with I report online abuse to a teacher (x̄ = 2.61). The grand mean of 3.24 is above the criterion mean, indicating that respondents generally agreed with the statements.
How the Likert mean is calculated
Each option gets a weight — Strongly agree = 5, Agree = 4, Undecided = 3, Disagree = 2, Strongly disagree = 1. Multiply each count by its weight, add them up, and divide by the number of respondents.
x̄ = Σfx / N
Worked example: 200 respondents
(62×5) + (88×4) + (15×3) + (20×2) + (15×1) = 762
x̄ = 762 / 200 = 3.81
3.81 is above the criterion mean of 3.00, so the statement is accepted.
The decision rule
| Scale | Criterion mean | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| 5-point (SA, A, U, D, SD) | 3.00 | Mean ≥ 3.00 accepted; below 3.00 rejected |
| 4-point (SA, A, D, SD) | 2.50 | Mean ≥ 2.50 accepted; below 2.50 rejected |
Writing up your Chapter 4?
MonoEd lays out your results tables for your study and writes the discussion around the figures you enter. Chapters 1–2 are free; ₦6,500 once for the whole project.
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Common questions
What is the criterion mean in a Likert scale?
It is the average of the scale weights, used as the cut-off for deciding whether respondents agreed. On a 5-point scale it is (5 + 4 + 3 + 2 + 1) ÷ 5 = 3.00; on a 4-point scale it is (4 + 3 + 2 + 1) ÷ 4 = 2.50. A statement with a mean at or above the criterion mean is accepted.
Should I use 3.0 or 2.5 as my cut-off?
Use 3.0 for a 5-point scale (with Undecided) and 2.5 for a 4-point scale (without it). Check which one your questionnaire used — the cut-off must match the number of options.
Do I need the standard deviation?
Most Nigerian Chapter 4 tables report it next to the mean. A small standard deviation means respondents' answers were close together; a large one means opinions were divided. The calculator uses the sample standard deviation, as SPSS does.
Can I enter percentages instead of counts?
No — enter the number of respondents who chose each option. The mean is weighted by counts, and percentages would give the wrong standard deviation.
What is the grand mean?
The average of all the statement means in the table. It summarises respondents' overall position on that research question, compared against the same criterion mean.