Likert scales relating to quality of life were completed by the homeless (N = 75); first year students (N = 301) and a town population (N = 72). Participants also completed free text questions. The scale and free text data were often contradictory and the results highlighted three processes to account for these disparities: i) frame of reference: current salient issues influenced how questions were interpreted; ii) within-subject comparisons: ratings were based on expectations given past experiences; iii) time frame: those with more stable circumstances showed habituation to their level of deprivation. Likert scale data should be understood within the context of how ratings are made.