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SPSS

Descriptive stats-example

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Aishwarya mohan
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72 views5 pages

SPSS

Descriptive stats-example

Uploaded by

Aishwarya mohan
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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What is SPSS?

SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences) is software used for statistical analysis in
social science, but it’s widely used in many fields, like healthcare, marketing, and education. It’s
user-friendly, with a point-and-click interface for conducting complex statistical tests without
needing to code.

Data Entry in SPSS

In SPSS, data is entered in the Data View tab, where each row represents a case (like a person or
event), and each column represents a variable (like age, gender, or test score).

The Variable View tab is where you define the variables—name, type, labels, and how the data
should be treated (nominal, ordinal, scale).

Descriptive Statistics

Descriptive statistics summarize and describe data in a meaningful way. Common examples
include:

 Mean: The average value of your data.


 Median: The middle value in the dataset.
 Mode: The most frequent value in the dataset.
 Standard Deviation: Measures the dispersion or spread of the data.

Step-by-Step Example Using Sample Data

Let’s generate some simple data and compute descriptive statistics:

101 Alaric Saltzman 43.00 0 180.000

102 Bonnie Bennet 19.00 1 162.000

103 Caroline Forbes 20.00 1 165.000

104 Damon Salvatore 28.00 0 183.000

105 Elena Gilbert 19.00 1 163.500

106 Elijah Mikaelson 31.00 0 182.500

107 Freya Mikaelson 33.00 1 166.300


108 Grayson Gilbert 45.00 0 172.000

109 Hayley Marshall 28.00 1 164.000

110 Isabelle Flemming 38.00 1 161.000

111 Jeremy Gilbert 18.00 0 182.000

112 Katherine Pierce 25.00 1 163.500

113 Klaus Mikaelson 30.00 0 180.000

114 Lorenzo St. John 29.00 0 176.000

115 Lucien Castle 36.00 0 175.000

116 Malachai Parker 24.00 0 173.000

117 Stefan Salvatore 21.00 0 182.500

Entering the Data in SPSS

1. Variable View:
a. Define the following variables:
i. Name (String, Nominal)
ii. Age (Numeric, Scale)
iii. Gender (String or Numeric, Nominal)
iv. Height (Numeric, Scale)
b. For Gender, you can code:
i. 1 for Male
ii. 2 for Female
2. Data View:
a. Enter the data as shown above. For Gender, use 1 for Male and 2 for Female (if
coding), or directly enter "Male" and "Female" as strings.

Steps to Code Gender in SPSS:

1. In Variable View:
o Go to the Variable View tab.
o In the first empty row, create a variable called Gender.
o Set the Type as Numeric (even though you’ll be entering numbers, this
represents categories, not true numerical data).
o In the Measure column, choose Nominal (since gender is a categorical variable
without an inherent order).

2. Assign Numeric Codes:


o Under the Values column for the Gender variable:
 Click the cell to open the Value Labels dialog.
 Enter a value (e.g., 1 for Male), and then in the label field, type "Male".
 Click Add.
 Repeat this process for the other category, e.g., 2 for Female, and add
"Female".
 Click OK when done.

This will allow you to enter 1 for Male and 2 for Female in the Data View, and SPSS
will interpret these as "Male" and "Female" based on the labels you assigned.

3. Enter Data:
o Go to the Data View tab.
o In the Gender column, you can now enter 1 for Male and 2 for Female for each
case.

Computing Descriptive Statistics

 Go to the menu and select Analyze -> Descriptive Statistics -> Descriptives.
 Move the variables Age and Height to the right-hand box.
 Click OK.

Creating Graphs in SPSS

Now let’s create some common graphs.


1. Bar Chart for Gender

A bar chart is useful to show the frequency of categorical variables like Gender.

Steps to create a bar chart:

1. Go to Graphs -> Chart Builder.


2. In the Chart Builder window:
a. Select Bar from the options (drag the simple bar chart into the preview area).
b. From the variables list, drag Gender to the x-axis.
c. Drag Age or another variable to the y-axis (or leave it to count occurrences).
3. Click OK.

Interpretation: The bar chart will show the frequency of males and females in your data.

2. Pie Chart for Gender Distribution

A pie chart is useful to visualize the proportion of each category (e.g., gender).

Steps to create a pie chart:

1. Go to Graphs -> Chart Builder.


2. In the Chart Builder window:
a. Select Pie/Polar (drag the simple pie chart into the preview area).
b. Drag Gender to the slices box.
3. Click OK.

Interpretation: The pie chart will show the proportion of males and females as slices.

3. Histogram for Age

A histogram is useful to show the distribution of a scale variable like Age.

Steps to create a histogram:

1. Go to Graphs -> Legacy Dialogs -> Histogram.


2. Select Age as the variable.
3. Check the box for displaying a normal curve (optional).
4. Click OK.

Interpretation: The histogram will show how the ages are distributed across the data.
4. Scatter Plot for Age vs. Height

A scatter plot is useful to visualize the relationship between two continuous variables, such as
Age and Height.

Steps to create a scatter plot:

1. Go to Graphs -> Legacy Dialogs -> Scatter/Dot.


2. Choose Simple Scatter and click Define.
3. Put Age on the x-axis and Height on the y-axis.
4. Click OK.

Interpretation: The scatter plot will show any relationship between age and height.

Exploring the Results

 Bar Chart: This shows how many people in the dataset are male vs. female.
 Pie Chart: It illustrates the proportion of males and females as a part of the whole.
 Histogram: The age distribution helps you see which age group is most common in the
dataset.
 Scatter Plot: Helps explore if there's a correlation between age and height.

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