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Lab2 LectureFreqD

This document provides instructions for completing Lab 2 in SPSS, which involves working with an existing data file to generate descriptive statistics and frequency distributions. It outlines how to determine the number of cases and variables in a dataset, open a data file, identify variable measurement scales, create frequency tables and graphs for categorical and numeric variables, break down numeric variables by categorical variables using histograms and boxplots, compare group means using a mean table, and examine relationships between two numeric variables using a scatterplot.

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Pohuyist
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85 views

Lab2 LectureFreqD

This document provides instructions for completing Lab 2 in SPSS, which involves working with an existing data file to generate descriptive statistics and frequency distributions. It outlines how to determine the number of cases and variables in a dataset, open a data file, identify variable measurement scales, create frequency tables and graphs for categorical and numeric variables, break down numeric variables by categorical variables using histograms and boxplots, compare group means using a mean table, and examine relationships between two numeric variables using a scatterplot.

Uploaded by

Pohuyist
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Lab 2

Frequency Distributions
OBJECTIVES
O This assignment will give you practice doing the
following;

1) working with an existing data file,

2) creating a new data file

3) generating descriptive statistics including


frequency distributions.

4) saving data and output files


GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS
O You may work in pairs during lab but both of you
should turn in this worksheet at the end of lab to
receive credit.

O Use a flashdrive to save data (.sav) & output


(.spv) files or save the files to the desktop. Then
email these files to me.

 For this lab, no printing is required.

O Pass in assignment at end of lab.


DETERMINING # of CASES
O Case = participant

O Number of cases in data file = # of participants

 How do you determine number of cases in an


SPSS dataset? (see demoLab2)

 In DATAVIEW, count rows.

O Control-home takes you to top of file; Control-end


takes you to the bottom
DETERMINING # of
VARIABLES
O Variable = what is measured or observed;
what you have data on.

O Data editor = place you enter _____ and


____

 How do you determine number of variables


in an SPSS dataset?

 In DATAVIEW, Count columns.


OPENING A SPSS DATA FILE
 How do you open a datafile?

 First, open SPSS.

 Click on FILE -> OPEN -> DATA

 How do you know which file is a data file?

 Look for a file with the extension _______


DETERMINING MEASUREMENT
SCALE
 How do you determine the scale of
measurement for a variable? Which column
do you look in?

 MEASURE COLUMN

 How do you determine what the label is for a


variable? Which column?

 LABEL COLUMN
DETERMINING MEASUREMENT
SCALE
 What type of frequency distribution graph(s)
do you use with nominal or ordinal variables?

 BAR GRAPH

 What type of frequency distribution graph(s)


do you use with interval or ratio variables?

 HISTOGRAM OR POLYGON
CREATING FREQUENCY
TABLES & GRAPHS
 First, let’s do a categorical variable. Which variable is nominal?

O How do you create a:


1) Frequency table?
2) Frequency graph?

 In data editor, go to ANALYZE-> DESCRIPTIVE STATISTICS ->


FREQUENCIES

 Select variable you want (gender)

 Make sure Freq Table box is checked


 Under STATISTICS, leave the default (none); WHY????
 Under CHARTS, select BAR GRAPH
CREATING FREQUENCY TABLES &
GRAPHS (cont.)
 What is the frequency of men in the data set? Women?

 Now, let’s do a NUMERIC variable (interval or ratio). Which


variable is that? Which graph do we want to create?

 In data editor, go to ANALYZE-> DESCRIPTIVE STATISTICS ->


FREQUENCIES

 Remove previous variable and select variable you want (age)

 Make sure Freq Table box is checked


 Under STATISTICS, choose mean, range, skewness
 Under CHARTS, select HISTOGRAM and select box for
normal curve
CREATING FREQUENCY TABLES &
GRAPHS (cont.)
 What is the mean age? The range for age?

 Is age normally distributed?

 Is it skewed? Is it positively or negatively skewed?

 Can look at two different things


1) Graph- is it positively or negatively skewed?

1) Skewness statistic- if greater than 1 or less than -1 it is


skewed
BREAKING DOWN NUMERICAL
VARIABLES BY CATEGORICAL VARIABLES

 How do you break down IQ by gender?

 Go to ANALYZE-> DESCRIPTIVE STATISTICS -> EXPLORE

 Select Continuous variable as the dependent variable

 Select Categorical variable as the independent variable

 Under STATISTICS, select DESCRIPTIVES

 Under PLOTS, select HISTOGRAM and BOXPLOTS


BREAKING DOWN NUMERICAL
VARIABLES (cont.)

 What is the breakdown of IQ by gender?

 Does the average age vary by gender? Look at histogram

 Does either gender have outliers? Look at boxplots for


outliers.
COMPARING MEANS BY CREATING
MEAN TABLES

 Does mean IQ for women differ from mean IQ for men?

 Create a MEAN TABLE to compare the two means.

 Go to ANALYZE -> COMPARE MEANS -> MEANS

 Select IQ as dependent variable and gender as indep.

 Do women or men have different mean IQs? Which is


greater?
CREATING A DATAFILE
O boys: 9, 5, 7, 6, 8, 7, 10, 4, 7, 6 (scores on test from 1-
10)
O girls: 3, 2, 5, 3, 4, 3, 6, 1, 3, 4 (scores on test from 1-10)

1) GO TO FILE-> NEW -> DATA

2) Create 2 variables: 1 for gender and 1 for test score

3) Enter data
Looking at Relationships between
2 Numeric Variables
O QUESTION: How do you look at relationship between two
interval/ratio variables?

 Create a scatterplot

 Go to GRAPHS-> LEGACY DIALOGS and select scatterplot.


 Click on Define, and then Simple Scatter/Dot
 Put one variable in each box.

o Look to see if there is a pattern (a straight line indicates a strong


relationship between the two variables)

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