Introduction to SPSSMay 21, 2008

Ivan Katchanovski, Ph.D.POL 242Y-Y

SPSS Data Editor: Data Entry Example

• Data entry example– TV vote for “Greatest Portuguese”– SPSS Data Editor

• Variables– Names/Labels : Use “Variable View” in SPSS Data

Editor– Observations/Values: Use “Data View” in SPSS

Data Editor – Unit of analysis

2

Vote results for “the Greatest Portuguese” in Portugal,” %

Name TVvote Poll1 Poll2Salazar 41 11 7Cunhal 19 5 7Mendes 13 8 6Alfonso 12 23 22Camoes 4 17 16John II 3 3 11Henry 3 4 12Pessoa 2 11 9Pombal 2 10 8Gama 1 8 3

3

Example of SPSS Analysis: Reliability Test• Research question: Which method of public opinion

measurement concerning the “Greatest Portuguese” is reliable?– Vote in a TV program (N=160,000)– Random public opinion polls (N=697; N=1,048)

• Level of measurement of variables – Name– TVvote– Poll1– Poll2

• SPSS Frequencies command– Analyze/Descriptive Statistics/Frequencies

• SPSS Command: Analyze/correlate/bivariate4

Recoding Variables • Example – Recode Poll1 from interval/ratio variable into ordinal variable• 17/23=High• 8/11=Medium• 3/5=Low

• SPSS recoding command– Transform/Recode into Different Variables

• SPSS saving command– Output: File/Save– Output: File/Export/Word/RTF file– Dataset: File/Save

5

SPSS Datasets• World Values Survey– 1999/2004 wave– Includes Canada– www.worldvaluessurvey.org

• World• 2000 National Election Study (US)• 2006 Canadian Election Study– http://ces-eec.mcgill.ca/surveys.html#2006

6

WebStats: Web version of SPSS

• Web access:– http://www.chass.utoronto.ca/pol242/

• Datasets and Codebooks– http://www.chass.utoronto.ca/pol242/

• Lab manuals– http://www.chass.utoronto.ca/pol242/

• Frequency command• Recode variable command

7

Lab Assignment

• Lab assignment # 1• Due May 28, 2008• Tutorials:• 5-6 p.m. & 8-9 p.m. on Monday, May 26• 3-5 on Wednesday, May 27

8