SPSS HMWK #3: Frequency Distributions, Charts, Central Tendency, and Variation (10pts)

Rationale:

• students gain experience describing data using frequency tables and other visuals
• students gain experience reporting basic descriptive statistics

After this assignment, students should be able to:

• retrieve and work with existing datasets as well as find appropriate information for the variables in existing datasets
• create frequency distributions for variables
• choose appropriate charts for variables
• determine and report appropriate measures of central tendency and dispersion
• properly summarize and report SPSS results

SPSS Guidebook:

• Lesson 2: Working with an Existing Dataset
• Lesson 3: Frequency Distributions & Graphs
• Lesson 4: Central Tendency & Dispersion

SPSS Video:

• SPSS Frequency Tables and Central Tendency

For this assignment, you’ll be working with the class dataset.

Class Dataset

Begin with the class dataset. Answer the following questions by running frequency distributions, reporting appropriate measures of central tendency and variation, and including the appropriate chart:

1. What is the racial makeup of your dataset?
2. Is your dataset a young or older group?
3. What is the level of education respondents?

Also choose 7 more variables of your choice to create a “picture” of your dataset. Write a few sentences to describe each frequency distribution (don’t forget to include central tendency and variation!). Also include an appropriate chart/graph for each variable.

GSS

Now download the GSS. Choose another 8 variables from the GSS. Again, run frequency distributions on the variables and report your results. Also include an appropriate chart/graph for each variable.

What to Turn In:

Use a word processing program such as MS Word or any other program of your choice

• Paragraph describing the frequency table and chart

• Guidelines:

• always report N (total sample)
• always report n (the number of people who answered each question)
• if you begin your sentences with a number, you must write out the number
• Do NOT write a sentence describing the level of measurement of a variable:

• CORRECT: “The median age of respondents is 28.”
• INCORRECT: “The variable is ordinal and the most appropriate measure of central tendency is median.”

• The word “majority” = greater than 50%!
• You MUST report %!
• watch your grammar and sentence structure

• Under the paragraph, paste the frequency tables followed by the charts/graphs

• your tables must look clean and neat-- DO NOT LET YOUR TABLES AND CHARTS BREAK ACROSS PAGES (except in the case of variables such as age)
• if the title of your table is unclear, you should give it a better name
• The chart gives you a visual of your data. In other words, charts are created from data, not the other way around! A chart is NOT data! The data table gives you more detailed information about your results-- i.e. it contains frequencies, percentages, cumulative percentages, missing data, etc.

• Make it as neat as possible-- treat this as if you were turning in a report

So the order is:

Summary paragraph

Frequency table

Chart