Never … Often? Comparisons That Shape People's Likert-Type Ratings of Behavior Frequencies

Jeremy D. Strueder; Jane E. Miller; Isaac T. Petersen; Paul D. Windschitl

doi:10.1002/bdm.70083

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Never … Often? Comparisons That Shape People's Likert-Type Ratings of Behavior Frequencies

Journal article

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Never … Often? Comparisons That Shape People's Likert-Type Ratings of Behavior Frequencies

Jeremy D. Strueder, Jane E. Miller, Isaac T. Petersen and Paul D. Windschitl

Journal of behavioral decision making, Vol.39(3), e70083

07/01/2026

DOI: 10.1002/bdm.70083

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Abstract

Responses to Likert-type behavioral frequency (LBF) questions often do not consistently map onto objective numerical estimates. Prior research suggests that social and other comparisons may underlie this divergence, but the relative influence of different comparison standards-and the cognitive processes supporting them-remains unclear. Across two studies, we examined how comparisons to peers, averages, experts, past selves, and conceptually irrelevant standards shape LBF responses for common health behaviors (e.g., hand washing and flossing). Participants provided LBF judgments, absolute frequency estimates, and comparative judgments for each behavior. Study 1 showed that direct comparisons predicted LBF judgments above and beyond participants' own absolute frequency estimates, with comparisons to experts and average others being especially influential. Even when controlling for shared methodological variance, all comparison types explained unique variance in LBF responses. Study 2 replicated this pattern of results. Moreover, additional analyses in Study 2 suggest that participants were not making precise, pairwise comparisons between numeric estimates, but were instead relying on more abstract, gist-like impressions of how their behavior compared to others. Together, these findings underscore the importance of considering the comparative and interpretive nature of self-report measures, particularly in contexts where behavioral frequency carries social, normative, or evaluative meaning.

Health Behavior

behavioral frequency judgments

Likert-type scales

social comparison

vague verbal quantifiers

UIOWA OA Agreement

Details

Title: Subtitle: Never … Often? Comparisons That Shape People's Likert-Type Ratings of Behavior Frequencies
Creators: Jeremy D. Strueder - University of Iowa
Jane E. Miller - Vanderbilt University
Isaac T. Petersen - University of Iowa
Paul D. Windschitl - University of Iowa
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: Journal of behavioral decision making, Vol.39(3), e70083
DOI: 10.1002/bdm.70083
ISSN: 0894-3257
eISSN: 1099-0771
Publisher: Wiley
Number of pages: 21
Grant note: HD098235 / Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development; United States Department of Health & Human Services; National Institutes of Health (NIH) - USA; NIH Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development (NICHD) SES-1851738 / National Science Foundation; National Science Foundation (NSF)
Language: English
Date published: 07/01/2026
Academic Unit: Psychological and Brain Sciences; Iowa Neuroscience Institute; Center for Social Science Innovation
Record Identifier: 9985161341902771

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