How to Use SPSS

How to Use SPSS

How to Use SPSS

First of all, you need to have SPSS installed on your computer. If you have not installed it, please do so using the instructions I handed out during your summer class session. SPSS is also installed on all of the computers in the Nursing Computer Lab in the MetroBuilding. It is also installed on a computer across the hall from the Anesthesia office on the 6th floor of Erlanger.

Open SPSS on your computer and follow along with these instructions.

When you open SPSS for the first time, the title page comes up and then a box asking you what you would like to do? Click on Type in data, then on OK.

The data window will come up. Click on the Variable View tab located at the bottom left of the page, then begin to define a variable by listing its characteristics beginning with the name column. The name may have up to 64 characters, but there can be no spaces. Tab across until you reach the label column. You can then type the name of your variable with spaces, for instance, “tests reflected knowledge”.

To assign values to the variable, tab over to the values column. When you do so, you will notice a small gray box with three dots in it. Click on that box and a screen pops up. In the box opposite the word value, type in 1, then tab to the next box and type in what that value means, for instance, “strongly agree”. Then hit the add button and then OK. Hit the gray box with the three dots again and then next to value, type in 2, tab, then type in “agree”, hit add, then OK. Continue adding value numbers until you have completed 5, “strongly disagree”.

Tab over to the measure column. You will notice that it says “scale” on it. That means that your variable should be measured at the interval level. If you have a variable, such as the one used above, that is measured at the ordinal level, you will need to click on the down arrow and choose “ordinal” instead of scale.

If you were doing this for real, you would continue entering your variables until you were finished, then go back down and click on the data tab at the bottom left of the screen. You would then begin entering your data horizontally for each subject. When you finished entering your data, you would save it to a file.

After you have completed Ch. 1 and 2 in Cronk, please note that I have set up the remainder of the data files that you will need for the rest of the practice exercises, starting with the one on p. 20. They are located under “Resources” on the course Web-site. Also, in the handout package, you will find brief directions for completing the practice exercises on pages 43-98. These directions are to assist you if you have difficulty following the instructions in Cronk. Realize, however, that Cronk gives you a fuller explanation of each type of statistic.

Now, using your Cronk textbook, read and complete the first three chapters. Remember, Practice Data Set 1 for the exercise on page 20 is in Resources on the course Web-site.