How to Use SPSS®

A Step-By-Step Guide to Analysis and Interpretation

Brian C. Cronk

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2019
• ISBN:
  9781000682175
• Edition: 11
• Topic: Scienze sociali
• Subtopic: Metodologia e ricerca nelle scienze sociali

How to Use SPSS® is designed with the novice computer user in mind and for people who have no previous experience using SPSS. Each chapter is divided into short sections that describe the statistic being used, important underlying assumptions, and how to interpret the results and express them in a research report.

The book begins with the basics, such as starting SPSS, defining variables, and entering and saving data. It covers all major statistical techniques typically taught in beginning statistics classes, such as descriptive statistics, graphing data, prediction and association, parametric inferential statistics, nonparametric inferential statistics and statistics for test construction.

More than 270 screenshots (including sample output) throughout the book show students exactly what to expect as they follow along using SPSS. The book includes a glossary of statistical terms and practice exercises. A complete set of online resources including video tutorials and output files for students, and PowerPoint slides and test bank questions for instructors, make How to Use SPSS® the definitive, field-tested resource for learning SPSS.

New to this edition:

• 
  
  

• Now in full color with additional screenshots
• Fully updated to the reflect SPSS version 26 (and prior versions)
• Changes in nonparametric tests Model View incorporated
• Data and real output are now available for all Phrasing Results sections – eliminating hypothetical output or hypothetical data

Chapter 1

Getting Started

Section 1.1 Starting SPSS

Startup procedures for SPSS will differ slightly, depending on the configuration of the machine on which it is installed. If you have difficulty finding it look for an IBM SPSS Statistics section of your Start Menu. This text uses screenshots from the Windows version of SPSS. The MacOS and Unix versions will have the same functionality, but could appear differently than what is depicted herein.

When SPSS is started, you may be presented with the dialog box above, depending on the options your system administrator selected for your version of the program. If you have the dialog box, click Type in data and OK, which will present a blank data window.¹

If you were not presented with the dialog box above, SPSS should open automatically with a blank data window.

The data window and the output window provide the basic interface for SPSS. A blank data window is shown on page 3.

Section 1.2 Entering Data

One of the keys to success with SPSS is knowing how it stores and uses your data. To illustrate the basics of data entry with SPSS, we will use Example 1.2.1.

Example 1.2.1A survey was given to several students from four different classes (Tues/Thurs mornings, Tues/Thurs afternoons, Mon/Wed/Fri mornings, and Mon/Wed/Fri afternoons). The students were asked whether or not they were “morning people” and whether or not they worked. This survey also asked for their final grade in the class (100% being the highest grade possible). The response sheets from two students are presented below:

Response Sheet 1
ID:	4593
Day of class:		MWF	X	TTh
Class time:		Morning	X	Afternoon
Are you a morning person?		Yes	X	No
Final grade in class:	85%
Do you work outside school?		Full-Time		Part-Time
	X	No
Response Sheet 2
ID:	1901
Day of class:	X	MWF		TTh
Class time:	X	Morning		Afternoon
Are you a morning person?	X	Yes		No
Final grade in class:	83%
Do you work outside school?		Full-Time	X	Part-Time
		No

Our goal is to enter the data from the two students into SPSS for use in future analyses. The first step is to determine the variables that need to be entered. Any information that can vary among participants is a variable that needs to be considered. Example 1.2.2 lists the variables we will use.

Example 1.2.2

ID

Day of class

Class time

Morning person

Final grade

Whether or not the student works outside school

In the SPSS data window, columns represent variables, and rows represent participants. Therefore, we will be creating a data file with six columns (variables) and two rows (students/participants).

Section 1.3 Defining Variables

Before we can enter any data, we must first enter...