IBM SPSS Step-by-Step Guide: Histograms and
Descriptive Statistics
Note: This guide is an example of creating histograms and descriptive statistics in SPSS with
the [Link] file. The variables shown in this guide do not fully correspond with the actual
variables in your assessment (otherwise we’d be giving away they answers).
Carefully follow the assessment instructions for a list of assigned variables.
Section 1: Histograms and Visual Interpretation
Refer to your assessment instructions for a list of assigned variables. The example variable
final is shown below.
Step 1. Open [Link] in SPSS.
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Step 2. On the Graphs menu, point to Legacy Dialogs and click Histogram…
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Step 3. In the Histogram dialog box:
• First, select your variable for the assessment (remember, it is not the one pictured here
– check the courseroom). Move it to the Variable box. The example of final appears
below.
• Second, select Display normal curve.
• Third, move gender to the Rows box.
• Fourth, click OK to generate the histogram output.
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Step 4. The histogram output appears in SPSS. Copy your SPSS output. To do this, right-click
on the image and then click Copy (it will look similar to the picture below).
Step 5. Open a new Word document and right-click for the paste options. Paste the histogram
output into the Word document. Below the histograms, write up your visual interpretations as
described in your assessment.
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Section 2: Calculate Measures of Central Tendency and
Dispersion
Refer to the assessment instructions for a list of assigned variables. The example variables
final and percent are shown below.
Step 1. On the Analyze menu, point to Descriptive Statistics and click Descriptives…
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Step 2. In the Descriptives dialog box:
• First, select your assessment variables (they are not the ones pictured here – check the
courseroom). Move them to the Variable(s) box. The example variables final and
percent are shown below.
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• Second, click the Options button.
• Third, select Mean, Std. deviation, Kurtosis, and Skewness. For Display Order, select
Variable list.
• Fourth, click Continue and then click OK. The descriptives output is generated in SPSS
for your assessment variables.
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Step 3. Copy the descriptive statistics output and paste it into your Word document (it should
look similar to this but will utilize the assigned variables).
riptive Statistics
N Mean Std. Deviation Skewness Kurtosis
Statistic Stati stic Statistic Statistic Std. Error Stati stic Std. Error
final 105 61.48 7.943 -.335 .236 -.332 .467
perce nt 105 80.34 12.135 ·.834 .236 .952 .4 67
Vali d N (listwise) 105
You should have two Histograms (Graph) and one Descriptive Statistics table in your DAA.
You’re ready to start interpreting – be sure to include a rationale for your conclusions.
The readings and the Course Study Guide will help you with this.
