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Descriptive Analysis

Walden University

RSCH 8210: Quantitative Reasoning and Analysis

Dr. Randy Heinrich

September 19, 2021

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Dataset Analysis via SPSS

For purposes of this assignment, the Afrobarometer dataset was utilized. There were

10,313 total study participants, ranging in age from 18 to 100. The mean age of those

participating in the research study is 37.15 years old with a standard deviation of 14.490 years.

Due to failure to disclose age by 90 research participants, this statistic was calculated using the

reported ages of 10,223 study participants (Afrobarometer Dataset E, n.d.).

Continuous Variable: Number of Adults in Household

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Using direction from Laureate Education (2016) and the data presented in Afrobarometer

Dataset E (n.d.), descriptive statistics were gathered from the variable ‘number of adults in the

household.’ Using the descriptive statistics selected, one can identify 10,285 respondents
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participating in this question and 28 missing responses. From the data collected, the mean

number of adults present in the household is 3.67 adults, with a median of 3 adults present in the

household. The number of adults reported in the household most frequently is 2 adults.

The overall spread of the data presented is the standard deviation, calculated to be 2.439

adults present in the household. Laureate Education (2016) suggested that using the empirical

rule (which indicates approximately 68% of data will fall within one standard deviation from the

mean), one can identify 68% of the respondents reporting between 1.23 and 6.11 adults present

in the household.

With the mean of the dataset being more significant than the median, positively skewed

data can be expected/seen (Frankfort-Nechmias et al., 2020). Skewness was calculated at 1.821,

indicating a deviation from a perfectly normal distribution (Laureate Education, 2016). This

conclusion is further supported by a kurtosis, another indicator of skewed data, being calculated

at 5.895. Positive kurtosis indicates a pointy and tail distribution pattern (Laureate Education,

2016) that can be seen with respondents reporting as many as 25 adults being present in the

household. The range of adults present in the household is 24, found by subtracting the lowest

reported adults present in the household (1 adult) from the highest reported adults present in the

household (25 adults).

A frequency table follows the above-presented data statistics, showing the number of

respondents reporting the number of adults present in the household from 1 adult to 25 adults.

This table is further broken down to show percentages of each reported number of adults in the

home and a cumulative percentage as we consider adults from the minimum to the maximum

reported.
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This data is best represented in histogram form. Using Wagner’s (2020) direction for

editing output, a histogram was developed using SPSS software. To simplify the visual and

correlate it with the descriptive statistics discussed above, the number of respondents indicating

each reported number of adults in the household is displayed. A distribution curve showing

positive skewness can also be seen.

Categorical Variable: Country by Region

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Using the Afrobarometer Dataset E (n.d.) and direction provided by Laureate Education

(2016), descriptive statistics were gathered for the variable ‘country by region.’ Given the

categorical nature of this variable, Laureate Education (2016) suggests a bar graph and frequency

data only. From the descriptive statistics gathered, it is observable that 10,313 (or 100%)

participants reported their country by region. Most participants reside in West Africa, closely

followed by Southern Africa. There is a significant gap in the number of respondents (roughly

2,000 less respondents) from East Africa and North Africa, being home to the third and fourth

largest respondents, respectively. The percentages of each region of Africa are listed as well as

the cumulative percentages.

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Using the visual representation of data suggested by Laureate Education (2016) and

direction from Wagner (2020) on inputting data, the above bar graph was generated. From this

visual representation, it is clear that most respondents are residing in West Africa and Southern

Africa, with significantly less residing in East Africa and North Africa. For ease of

understanding, the number of respondents selecting each category and percentages of

respondents in each category were included on the bar graph.

Implications for Social Change

When considering family size, it would be beneficial to assess and further research the

impact number of adults in the household has on financial stability. This concept can be

considered in conflicting manners. With more adults in the home, there is potential for more

economic/financial stability due to more house residents holding employment. Though this is a

hypothesis, it should also be considered that the exact opposite may be true. An increased
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number of adults in the household may lead to rapid depletion of available finances, especially if

some do not achieve stable and consistent employment.

As seen in the statistical analysis and visual representation of the ‘Country by Region’

variable, the Northern and Eastern African regions appear to yield lower participation than their

counterparts. That leads to speculation as to why these regions did not show high participation

when others did. Perhaps an implication for social change would exist in that lower participation

rates indicate a need for community economic development/enhancement. If all regions of

Africa are equally developed, one can hypothesize that participation would be similar across all

regions. With this increased amount of gathered data, the input gained would be more

representative of Africa as a whole than the current data favoring the Southern and Western

portions of Africa.
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References

Afrobarometer Dataset E. (n.d.). Data base available at: Afrobarometer Dataset E.sav.

Frankfort-Nachmias, C., Leon-Guerrero, A., & Davis, G. (2020). Social statistics for a diverse

society (9th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

Laureate Education (Producer). (2016). Descriptive statistics [Video file]. Baltimore, MD:

Author.

Wagner, III, W. E. (2020). Using IBM® SPSS® statistics for research methods and social

science statistics (7th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.