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How to deal with Missing Values (DR SEE KIN HAI)

1. In research sometimes you cannot get a complete set of data from the sample so you help the computer to deal with the Missing Data. 2. Missing values can be denoted by 9, 99, and 999 for each type of question. 3. If missing value is not defined properly it will cause problem to your calculation. 4. Include missing value to avoid confusion latter. 5. Choose a number that will not confuse with your scores. For example for a score of 0 to 10 we can use 11 or 99 as missing value. Then you tell SPSS how you have coded the missing data so that SPSS will not read these codes as real numbers. 6. You can exclude missing values from your analysis by choosing [listwise]. Defining Missing Values (Practice) For the data given below try to define the missing values.

1. Students 1 and 2 did not sit for their English Test but they have the particulars for the rest. It would be a pity to discard students 1 and 2 from the analysis. 2. Never use a blank cell to identify the missing value because the [Data Editor] will give you a full stop [ . ]. 3. In the [Variable View] as below:

Select the right side of [Missing] under English a [Missing Values] dialogue box appears

999

Click on here to get the box below

Select [Discrete missing values] and type [999] then [OK]. Repeat and click on the Age and type [99] then [OK]

4. Example below will show you the use of [Pairwise] and [Listwise] options for the mission values in calculating the Correlation coefficient of the above variables. 5. Select [Analyze] on the menu bar then click on [Correlate] and [Bivariate] to open the [Bivariate Correlations] box. Move [English], [Mathematics], [Sex] and [Age] into the [Variables] box. Select [Pearson] and [two-tailed] test then click on [Options]

3 By default [Exclude cases pairwise] is selected. You can select [Exclude cases listwise] then [Continue]

Output for the default pairwise deletion

If you choose Listwise deletion

4 Here all the cases are based on 7, as number of cases which have no missing values on the 4 variables will be 2 missing from English and 1 from Age so only 7 have complete data

COURSEWORK Use the data below and run a correlation for the 4 variables listed. You must defined the variables before you run the [Pairwise] and [Listwise] deletion.

The [variable view ] is shown below.