During a study on consumer behavior towards eco$-$friendly packaging, a researcher asks participants to express their level of agreement with the statement: "I prefer purchasing products with eco$-$friendly packaging even if they cost more." The response options range from 'Strongly Disagree' to 'Strongly Agree.$\text{'}$

Which of the following best describes the scale used by the researcher in this context?

A Likert scale, because it measures degrees of agreement or disagreement on a symmetrical agreedisagree continuum.

An interval scale, because it assumes equal distances between response options but lacks a true zero point.

An ordinal scale, because it simply ranks responses without assuming equal distances between points.

A semantic differential scale, because it assesses attitudes across a continuum between two bipolar adjectives.