---
url: "https://questionstar.com/principles-of-survey-research/chapter-2/slide-058.html"
title: "Number of Scale Categories"
type: "lehrbuch-slide"
chapter: 2
chapterTitle: "Survey: Measurement and Scaling"
slide: 58
---

# Number of Scale Categories

*More categories capture finer differences — but most respondents can only handle a few categories.*

**1. Number of Scale Categories**

There is no single optimal number — traditionally, scales with five to nine categories are used.

More categories capture finer differences — but most respondents can only handle a few categories .

### Involvement & Knowledge

more when respondents are interested in the rating or have deep knowledge of the object.

### Nature of the Objects

more when fine differences are characteristic of the objects.

### Mode of Data Collection

fewer in telephone interviews, where scales are harder to keep track of.

### Data Analysis

fewer for aggregation & group comparisons · more for sophisticated, correlation-based statistics.

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*Slide 58 of 274 · Chapter 2: Survey: Measurement and Scaling · Principles of Survey Research · Dr. Paul Marx*