RM Practical Session I - Introduction to SPSS

Learning outcomes

At the end of the session you should know how to/be familiar with:

Access the SPSS software

The SPSS for Windows environment the (Data Editor) and all its features/tools
Open an SPSS data file
Import an excel data file into SPSS
Draw on existing knowledge and categorise variables within an existing
dataset

Part 1

SPSS may be located as an icon on your desktop and (more likely) within the
Programs menu

Start/launch the SPSS program in Windows to be demonstrated

From the Programs menu
Click the Start button
Click All Programs
Select SPSS 20.0

The main screen and the opening dialog box.

Pay attention to the dialog box and its options, especially

the first, Run the tutorial,
the second, Type in data
and the fifth Open an existing data source; this is already selected by
default.

Depending on what you want to do you may change the default selection by
selecting either the first or second option. Alternatively you can cancel at the
bottom right of the dialog box to get rid of the dialog box and have the Data
Editor alone.
Click Cancel

The same functions (above) in the dialog box are available on the main menu.

The Data Editor Window

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The Data Editor Window is the main SPSS user interface (in Windows). It comprises
two different windows:
the Data View this is where you enter data, and where your data is always
displayed and manipulated.
the Variable View contains all relevant information relating to each of the
variables in your data; this is where you label, define/name variables, assign
values or add some relevant information to the data.

Identify the main features and functions in the user interface Title bar, Menu bar,
Tool bar; Maximize, Restore, Minimize and Close buttons; the Data View and
Variable View tabs at the bottom of the window.

The SPSS file name is displayed at the very top of the Data Editor Window. Since
you havent named your file yet the name Untitled.. is displayed (by default)
Practise using the Maximize, Restore Down, Minimize, and Close buttons
by clicking each
Move between Data View and Variable View by clicking each button
(located at the bottom left of the window)
Find out the use and contents of each function/icon on the menu and tool
bar by moving your cursor over each - to be demonstrated

More on the Data View and Variable View windows

Data View
The main area of the window shows a number of (empty) cells, which are
used to enter data
The rows are serially numbered; they represent cases (often respondents to a
survey)
The columns, each initially bears the name var; they represent variables in
your data, the responses obtained on each question asked
The first cell (upper left hand corner) has a dark border, which indicate that it
is active or ready to receive a data item

Variable View
As with the Data View each of the rows of the Variable View window is
numbered
Each row represents a variable, from the first variable to the last
The columns in the Variable View window represent different characteristics
of the variable
1. Name is used for naming the variable. Each variable must begin with
a letter and no two variables can have the same name. The name you
enter here appears at the top of the corresponding column in the Data
View.

2
 2. Type: the type of data contained in a variable numeric, comma,
scientific notation, string etc. SPSS assumes this data type and we
mostly use numeric variables.
3. Width: the total number of characters in the data items (the default is
8)
4. Decimals: the number of decimals that are displayed in the Data View
window (the default is 2)
5. Label: used for describing a variable. You need provide a label, which
will appear in your output and indicate what the results represent.
6. Values: used for assigning codes to categorical variables
7. Missing: used for assigning values to missing data (the default value
for a missing data is a period)
8. Column: represents the width of the column that are displayed in the
Data View window (default width is 8)
9. Align: positions the data either to the left, the right or the centre of the
cells (default is right)
10. Measure: describes the measurement level of the variable (the default
is scale).

Part 2

Opening data

Use data files which you should already have downloaded and stored from yorkshare:
SPSS data file is named Example1 and excel data file is named Copy of
GradSurvey.

SPSS data file (already saved) - to be demonstrated

Exit the SPSS program for now
Open the SPSS program again.
In the dialog box the option Open an existing data source is already selected

Click OK
Find the drive and folder in which you had saved the data file Example1
Open

Importing Excel data file (GradSurvey), which you should have downloaded from
Yorkshare - to be demonstrated

Click File (this time)

Select Open and click Data
Select Excel (*.xls) as the file type
Find the drive and folder in which you had saved the data file Exceldata_1
Select the worksheet GradSurvey
Click Open
Make sure Read variable names is selected
Click Continue

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Examine the SPSS data file for the GradSurvey data

Additional information for the excel data:

1. Gender
2. Age
3. Height
4. Current major area of study Accounting (A), Economics/Finance (EF),
Information Systems (IS), International Business (IB), Management (M),
Marketing/Retailing (MR), Undecided (UN)
5. Graduate cumulative grade point average
6. Undergraduate area of specialisation Biological Sciences (BI), Business
Administration (BU), Computer or Maths (CM), Education (ED), Engineering
(EN), Humanities (HU), Performing Arts (PA), Physical Sciences (PS), Social
Sciences (SS), Other (O).
7. GMAT score
8. Current employment status
9. Current employment status Full-time (FT), Part-time (PT), Unemployed
(UN)
10. Different full time jobs held in past ten years
11. Expected annual salary
12. Anticipated salary in five years
13. Satisfaction with students advisement services 1 (extremely unsatisfied), 4
(neutral) to 7 (extremely satisfied)
14. Amount spent on text books this semester

Part 3

Exercise:

1. List the categorical variables in the data

2. List the variables in the data that are numerical
3. List the variables in the data that are discrete numerical variables