Statistical-Package-for-Social-Sciences -...

Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS)
Contents
1. Introduction to SPSS
2. Important Concepts
3. Data base concepts
4. Coding
5. The SPSS environment
6. Preparation of data file
7. Data screening
8. Accessing Normality
9. Data manipulation
10.Data transformation

Introduction to SPSS
Statistical package for social sciences used for the data entry and statistical analysis.
SPSS is used by students and researchers.
Main Pre-requisite
Statistical Knowledge
SPSS does not have a brain, it can't decide which analysis or graph is appropriate. It can
only follow commands.
Important Concepts
Constant
A characteristic that has same values for all individuals
Variable
A characteristic that can assume any one of several values
Variable types
1. numeric(numbers only)
2. alphabetic (alphabets only)
3. string (alphabets, numbers and special characters)
Variable Measurement Level
1. categorical/nominal
2. ordinal
3. interval
4. ratio
Classification of Variables
1. independent variables

2. dependent variables
3. extraneous variables
Data base Concepts
1. field/ column
2. record/ case/ row
3. cell
4. data file
5. data base(a collection of data files)
SPSS provides a spread sheet view of data. A spread sheet is a collection of data
organized in rows and columns. Columns consists of all variables names and rows
consists of detail information of reach respondent.
S.no Respondent Depression Anxiety Psychosis
1. Respondent 1 10 9 16
2. Respondent 2 9 10 3
3. Respondent 3 15 2 10
4. Respondent 4 1 8 9
5. Respondent 5 4 17 9
SPSS is meant to be used mostly for quantitative research. Using data in numerical form
is coded. It is not appropriate for an in depth qualitative research.
Coding
It is initial step in data reduction in which units of behavior or particular events are
identified and classified according to specific criteria. Usually units are assigned a
numerical code. For example:
Male may be coded as 1
Female may be coded as 2