A graduate student recently posed the following question (edited) to the Stata List which prompted a very helpful, quick reply:
Q: My data include numerous 7-point Likert-scale items and I need to recode some due to inconsistent question directionality (e.g., some variables are worded "I like working here," while others "I would take an other job if i could"). Thus, I need to "re-scale" some variables to ensure consistent interpretation.
A: This a matter of reversing a scale. Some might want to point you to recode here but I would want to underline that.
Code:
gen myvar2 = 8 - myvar
This flips 1 to 7 and vice versa and correspondingly flips in between. Value labels will need fixing.
Obviously, coding necessary to "flip" values for a 5-point Likert scale would involve the number "6", etc.
Comments