Define the variables – indicate the type of data, and whether the values represent something more than numbers.
- Data view = actual data: scores, ratings, gender …
- variables in columns (participants are across rows, variable is each column
- Variable view = shows info about variables: names, types …
- no spaces or punctuation in variable names
- variables in rows (each variable is a row)
- numeric variable:
- width = number of digits (eg 3)
- decimals = number of decimal places (eg 0)
- SNO = subject number
- … = opens further window for more options
- Labels = as long as you want, with spaces and punctuation (purely for your own reference)
- Values = labelling value
- purely numeric = no label
- eg Gender = need to label: 1=Male, 2=Female and width = 1
Recoding variables: eg want to reverse scale: make 1=happy into 1=unhappy
- Transform -> Recode into Different Variables
- Move variable into box on right
- Rename
- Re-label -> click “Change”
- Old and new values -> change 1 to 5, 2 to 4, 3 to 3 …
Computing variables: eg want to add scores of two variables together to make a completely new variable
- Transform -> Compute Variable
- Move variable 1 into slot on right, click +, move variable 2
- Name new variable in “Target Variable” box
- Type + Label -> label new variable
Listing data: eg want only to see data of 3 variables and top 10 participants
- Analyze -> Reports -> Case Summaries
- Move variables into box on right
- Tick “Display cases”
- Tick “Limit cases to first” -> write “10”
- To save output: save to same name as spreadsheet
Split file (to order data by groups): eg if you want to obtain separate descriptives for each gender
- Data -> Split File
- Tick “Organize output by groups”
- Move variable to box on right
- To switch off: Tick “Analyse all cases, do not create groups”