MSc Business Administration

Research Methodology: Tools

Applied Data Analysis (with SPSS)

Lecture 01: Introduction to SPSS

February 2014

Prof. Dr. Jürg Schwarz

Lic. phil. Heidi Bruderer Enzler

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Contents

Resources I ______________________________________________________________________________________________ 3 

First Steps _______________________________________________________________________________________________ 4 

Design of the Data Editor and Datasets _______________________________________________________________________ 6 

Running Analyses with SPSS _______________________________________________________________________________ 9 

Special Issue: Using the Syntax Editor ______________________________________________________________________ 14 

Data Entry ______________________________________________________________________________________________ 29 

Modifying data values ____________________________________________________________________________________ 21 

Select Cases & Split File __________________________________________________________________________________ 25 

Resources II ____________________________________________________________________________________________ 29 

 Slide 3

Resources I
Manuals
This introduction is based on the manual IBM SPSS Statistics 21 Brief Guide.
You can find this manual and the IBM SPSS Statistics 21 Core System User's Guide here:
◦ Ilias
◦ http://www-01.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=swg27024972

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First Steps
Change the Application Language
The language can be selected through the "General" tab under EditOptions:
 Slide 5

Sample Dataset "demo.sav"

This introduction is based on the demo.sav dataset. It is a fictional survey that includes basic
demographic data and consumer information of several thousand persons (n = 6400).
Name Label
age Age in years
marital Marital status
address Years at current address
income Household income in thousands
inccat Income category in thousands
car Price of primary vehicle
carcat Primary vehicle price category
ed Level of education
employ Years with current employer
retire Retired
empcat Years with current employer
jobsat Job satisfaction
gender Gender
reside Number of people in household
wireless Wireless service
multline Multiple lines
voice Voice mail
pager Paging service
internet Internet
callid Caller ID
callwait Call waiting
owntv Owns TV
ownvcr Owns VCR
owncd Owns stereo/CD player
ownpda Owns PDA
ownpc Owns computer ….

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Opening the Data File "demo.sav"

In preparation for today, you have saved the dataset "demo.sav" locally.
You did find it in one of the following locations:
◦ On your laptop: C\…\Programs\IBM\SPSS\Statistics\21\Samples\
◦ On Ilias: … » Lectures » Lecture 01 Introduction » Data Resources

To open this dataset you can do either of the following:

◦ Double click on SPSS data file (the dataset "demo.sav")
◦ Use the menu FileOpenData…
 Slide 7

Design of the Data Editor and Datasets

The Two Parts of the Data Editor
The Data Editor shows the contents of the current data file.

Data view Variable view

Columns represent variables, Each row is a variable, each column is an
rows represent cases. attribute of the variable.

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Structure of an SPSS Dataset

SPSS data are organized according to cases (rows) and variables (columns).

Data View

Cases (Rows)
In a survey of individuals, each row repre-
sents a respondent.
In a scientific experiment, each row usually
corresponds to a measurement.

Variables (Columns)
Each column of the data editor corresponds to a particular attribute.
In many areas of research, these measurements are called variables.
 Slide 9

Running Analyses with SPSS

Running an Analysis
The "Analyze" menu contains different methods of
analysis. For example a simple frequency table with
histogram:
AnalyzeDescriptive StatisticsFrequencies…

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Intermezzo: Alphabetical View of the Variables in the Dialog Boxes

By default, SPSS dialog boxes display variables with their labels:

Variables are displayed with their labels.

This could make the search for particular variables difficult.

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SPSS can be adjusted so that variables are displayed with their names and in
alphabetical order.
To do so, select the following setting under the General tab of EditOptions:

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Variables are displayed alpha-

betically by their names.

Place the cursor in the box that contains the variables, and enter a character from the keyboard.
The first variable beginning with this character will appear.
This allows you to quickly search through the variable box to find a variable.
 Slide 13

Viewing Results: SPSS Output

The output includes the syntax
of the command and its results
(frequency table, histogram).
Syntax is the internal
"language" of SPSS.

…
…

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Special Issue: Using the Syntax Editor

Structure of SPSS

Data Editor

Output

Syntax Editor

*.sav files

*.spv files

*.sps files
 Slide 15

Working with Syntax

Open a new syntax file through the menu: FileNewSyntax

Data Editor

Output

Syntax-Editor

*.sav files

*.spv files

*.sps files

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How do you get the command syntax?

Option I: Perform an analysis through the menu
Example: AnalyzeDescriptive StatisticsFrequencies

Data Editor

Output
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Where is the syntax for this analysis? => The syntax is displayed in the output.
Double-click the syntax part in the log, highlight and copy the syntax.

Paste the syntax into the Syntax Editor.

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Option II: Paste the syntax directly from the dialog box ("Paste" button).

Option III: Write the syntax yourself.

Executing the Syntax

Place the cursor inside the syntax editor and run the analysis through the menu
RunSelection.
 Slide 19

Typical Syntax File

Why should you use syntax?

Rapidly leads to greater efficiency.
Documentation
Reproducing the results
Automatically process many commands
Allows access to all commands
Communication with other persons
Opens the world of macros

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What if the Syntax is not Displayed in the Output?

Through the menu EditOptions…Viewer, choose "Display commands in the log"

The syntax is now displayed in the output.

 Slide 21

Modifying Data Values

The data may not always exist in a form that can be used for analysis or reporting.
For example, you may want to:
◦ convert a scale variable into a categorical variable.
◦ merge different response categories into a single category.
◦ calculate a new variable from the difference between two existing variables.

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Computing a new variable

New variables can be computed based on existing ones, for example by averaging scores,
summing them up etc.
For example you may want to compute the equivalence income (based on the household in-
come and the number of persons in the household).
TransformCompute Variable…

Syntax
COMPUTE income_equiv = income / SQRT(reside).
 Slide 23

Recoding a variable
Example: creating a categorical variable from a scale variable.
For example, based on age in years we could build age categories.
Menu: TransformRecode into Different Variables…

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Syntax
RECODE age (Lowest thru 24=1) (25 thru 44=2) (45 thru 60=3) (61 thru Highest=4) INTO age_r.
FREQUENCIES VARIABLES=age age_r /ORDER ANALYSIS.

Result
Scale values (age) Categorical values (age_r)

==>

: Categories
1: up to 24 years
2: 25 - 44 years
3: 45 - 60 years
4: over 60 years
 Slide 25

Select Cases & Split File

Select cases
A particular subset of the data can be analyzed by selecting specific cases. Through this, all un-
desired cases of your data set are either temporarily or permanently deleted.
For example, you may want to analyze only respondents who are older than 45 years.
Menu: DataSelect Cases…

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Syntax Result

USE ALL.
COMPUTE filter_$=(age > 45).
FILTER BY filter_$.
EXECUTE .

FREQUENCIES VARIABLES=age
/FORMAT=NOTABLE
/HISTOGRAM
/ORDER=ANALYSIS.

FILTER OFF.
These lines remove the
USE ALL. "filter" for all analyses
to come.
EXECUTE .
 Slide 27

Split File
Sometimes data in different categories should be analyzed separately.
To do this, the data can be split up, and the same analysis can be performed on two or more da-
tasets.
For example, we could split the dataset by means of the variable age_r which means we are
conducting separate analyses for each of the age categories.
Menu: DataSplit File…

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Syntax Result

SORT CASES BY age_r .

SPLIT FILE SEPARATE BY age_r .

FREQUENCIES VARIABLES=income
/FORMAT=NOTABLE
/HISTOGRAM
/ORDER=ANALYSIS.

SPLIT FILE OFF. This line removes the

split for all analyses
to come.
 Slide 29

Data Entry
Data Entry Options

There are different ways to enter data into SPSS.

Data can be directly entered into SPSS or can be imported from many different sources:
◦ Direct: SPSS Data Editor
◦ From a spreadsheet program (such as Excel)
◦ From a database program (such as Access)
◦ From other applications (such as a text editor)

Scanners may be efficient for entering large amounts of data.

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Data Editor: Defining Variables, Entering Data & Missing Values

Entering (new) numerical data

Open a new data file (through the menu FileNewData)

At the bottom of the Data Editor window, switch to Variable View.
◦ Enter age in the first row of the first column.
◦ Enter marital in the second row.
◦ Enter income in the third row.

New variables are automatically assigned the "Numeric" data type.

 Slide 31

Switch to the Data View in order to enter values.

To suppress the decimal place for the variables age, marital and income:
◦ At the bottom of the Data Editor window, switch to Variable View.
◦ Select the "Decimals" column and enter a 0 for age.
◦ Select the "Decimals" column and enter a 0 for marital.

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Adding variable labels and value labels

Enter "Respondent's age" into the age cell of the "Labels" column.
Do the same for "Marital Status", and so on.

Select the Values cell for marital and open the dialog box.
◦ For "Value", enter 1.
◦ For "Label", enter "single".
◦ Click on "Add" so that this designation is registered.
 Slide 33

Handling missing values

In general, missing or invalid data should not be ignored.
Sometimes survey participants refuse to answer particular questions. They may not know an
answer, or may respond in an unexpected way.
If these data are not identified or filtered out, your analysis may not yield correct results.

Empty data cells, or cells that con-

tain invalid input, are converted to
missing values, which are displayed
as a period.

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The reason why data is missing could be important for your analysis.
For example, for a particular question, it could be useful to distinguish between those who re-
fused to answer and those for whom the question was not applicable.
In "Variable View" select the "Missing" cell for income and open the dialog box.
In this dialog box you can specify up to three different missing values, either by defining a range
of values, or particular single values.
 Slide 35

Importing Data

Data can be imported from different sources.

◦ Reading an SPSS Data File

SPSS data files have a file extension of *.sav.
◦ Importing data from a spreadsheet
In addition to entering data into the data editor, you can import from programs such as Mi-
crosoft Excel. The column headings serve as variable names.
◦ Importing data from a text file
Text files are common sources of data. Many spreadsheet programs and databases can save
their contents in text file format.
For example, in CSV files, variables are separated with commas or tabs.
◦ Importing data from a database (not in this course)
Data from a database can be imported with the help of a database wizard.

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Importing data from a spreadsheet

Search for the Excel file demo.xls.
◦ On your computer: In the "Samples" subdirectory of the installation directory
C\…\Programs\IBM\SPSS\Statistics\21\Samples\
◦ On Ilias: … » Lectures » Lecture 01 Introduction » Data Resources

Column headings
= Variable names

:
 Slide 37

Open the Excel file through the SPSS File menu (Excel file must be closed)

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Importing data from a text file
Search for the text file demo.txt
◦ On the Computer under: C\…\Programs\IBM\SPSS\Statistics\21\Samples\
◦ On Ilias: > … > Data Resources

Open the text file through the SPSS File menu (text file must be closed)
 Slide 39

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Resources II
SPSS Help System (Core System User's Guide)
Help Menu (the most important entries)
◦ Topics: This allows you to access the tabs Contents, Index and Search. Use these tabs to
search for particular Help topics.
Tutorial: Step-by-step instructions for many basic functions.
◦ Case studies: Practical examples to design different types of statistical analyses and for the
interpretation of results.
◦ Statistics Coach: This coach helps you to find the procedure that you would like to use. The
Statistics Coach offers access to most of the procedures.
◦ Command Syntax Reference: Detailed information about command syntax is available
from two sources: as a component of the Help system, and as a separate PDF-document in
the Command Syntax Reference manual, which is also available through the Help menu.
Context dependent help
◦ Dialog box help: Most dialog boxes contain the Help button, through which you can call up
corresponding help topics for the dialog box.
◦ Pivot Table Context Help Menu: If you right-click on a term in a viewer-activated pivot ta-
ble, and then select Direct Help from the context menu, you obtain a definition of the term.
◦ Command syntax: Place your cursor inside a block of command syntax in the command
syntax window, and press the F1 key on the keyboard.
 Slide 41

Help Menu:

=>

Help dialog box

=>

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Tutorials

:
 Slide 43

Online Resources
SPSS Solutions for Education
www-01.ibm.com/software/analytics/spss/academic/students/resources.html
User znz@gmx.ch
Password 7mydevelopper

SPSS Support (primarily for the Knowledge Base)

http://support.spss.com/tech/default.asp
www.dynelytics.com
User spssswitzerland
Password spssswitzerland

SPSS Support (resources for all levels of users and application developers)
www.spss.com/devcentral
User znz@gmx.ch
Password 7mydevelopper

Other Resources / Forum / Discussion

www.ats.ucla.edu/stat/spss
http://spssx-discussion.1045642.n5.nabble.com
www.spssusers.co.uk

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Notes: