Millisecond Forums

Negative Numbers in a Likert Scale

https://forums.millisecond.com/Topic12028.aspx

By jmb242 - 1/4/2014

Hi,
I am programming my surveys into Inquisit. Everything is going quite smoothly except for one thing.
I have a scale that needs the Likert response to go from -3 to +3 
My code is below. Inquisit keeps giving me an error. 
How can I use negative values and the zero value without getting an error?

Any advice would be awesome. 
Thanks, JM

<likert minik>
/ anchors = [(-3)="disagree strongly"; (-2)="somewhat disagree"; (-1)="disagree slightly"; 0="don’t know/not applicable"; 1="agree slightly"; 2="agree somewhat"; 3="agree strongly"]
/ stimulusframes = [1 = minik]
/ mouse=false
/ numpoints=7
/ position= (50, 80)
</likert> 
By Dave - 1/4/2014

The syntax in your /anchors attribute is invalid. You need to use the <likert>'s /buttonvalues attribute in addition. You can find many examples via the forum's search facilities, such as e.g. https://www.millisecond.com/forums/Topic3849.aspx?Keywords=buttonvalues#bm3851.

Further details can be found in the documentation.
By jmb242 - 1/18/2014

Hi Dave,
Thanks that helped.
I am still having an issue though - now my Likert scale is going off the computer screen.

I've tried messing with the anchor width (taking it down to 5%, and then I have words all overlapping on one another) and up to 25% (where it is still going off the page).

Just can't get it right. Any tips? Here is my code: 

<likert minik>
/ anchors = [1="disagree strongly"; 2="somewhat disagree"; 3="disagree slightly"; 4="don’t know/not applicable"; 5="agree slightly"; 6="agree somewhat"; 7="agree strongly"]
/ stimulusframes = [1 = minik]
/ mouse = true
/ numpoints=7
/ buttonvalues = [1="-3"; 2="-2"; 3="-1"; 4="0"; 5="+1"; 6="+2"; 7="+3"]
/ anchorwidth = (25%)
/ position= (50, 80)
</likert> 

Thanks!
By Dave - 1/18/2014

Try line breaks?

<likert minik>
/ anchors = [1="disagree
strongly"; 2="somewhat
disagree"; 3="disagree
slightly"; 4="don’t know/
not applicable"; 5="agree
slightly"; 6="agree
somewhat"; 7="agree
strongly"]
/ mouse = true
/ numpoints=7
/ buttonvalues = [1="-3"; 2="-2"; 3="-1"; 4="0"; 5="+1"; 6="+2"; 7="+3"]
/ anchorwidth = (15%)
/ position= (50, 80)
</likert>
By jmb242 - 1/18/2014

Nevermind, I have successfully figured this out.
Thanks!

JM