SPSSExercise3TransformingVariables

Due:

Objective:Therearetwoobjectivestothisassignment.Thefirstisspecifictotheassignmentandthesecondistopracticeskillslearnedinpreviousassignments.

1. LearnlogicandprocesstotransformvariablesusingSPSS2. Practicefrequencydistributioncreationandanalysis.

AssignmentDescription:Thisassignmentistolearnhowtotransform,orrecode,variables.Theprincipleisverysimple:supposeoneaskedrespondentsthefollowingclosedendedquestionwiththeassociatedresponses: Whatisyourlaborforcestatus?

0. NotApplicable1. WorkingFulltime2. WorkingPart-time3. TemporarilyNotWorking4. Unemployed5. Retired6. InSchool7. KeepingHouse8. Other9. NoAnswer

However,itwasonlynecessarytomeasurethedifferencesbetweenrespondentsthatwereworkingandnotworking.Thiscouldbedoneeasilybytransformingtheoldvariableintoanewvariablewithonlythecategories“Working”and“NotWorking.”Forourpurposesthe“Working”categoryincludesthosethatansweredoption1and2,the“NotWorking”categoryincludesthosethatansweredoptions3,4,5,6,7,and8.Becausetheresponses0and9areneither“Working”nor“NotWorking”wewillkeepthemintheiroriginalstate.FollowingistheproceduretocompletethisstepinSPSS.SPSSProcedure:

1. OpenSPSS2. Runafrequencydistributionforvariabletobetransformed(forthis

demonstrationuse“wrkstat”).3. Verifythenumericvaluesoftheattributesforthevariabletobetransformed.

(SeeSPSSExercise1>SPSSInterface>Step8.).4. SelectTransform>RecodeintoDifferentVariables.”Thiswill;causea

windowtopopupsimilartothatinFigure3.1.

5. SelectthevariabletobetransformedandmoveittoNumericVariable->OutputVariablepanel.SeeFigure3.1.

6. Inthethirdpanelunder“OutputVariable”givethevariableabouttobecreatedanewname.Usethebaseoftheoriginalvariablenameandaddan“R”totheendofit(egwrkstatbecomeswrkstatR).SeeFigure3.1.

7. Clickthe“Change”buttonandthenthe“OldandNewValues”buttoninthebottomofthesecondpanelandanewwindowwillpopupsimilartothatinFigure3.2.

8. Inthe“OldValue”panelontheleftsideofthewindowandenterthenewvaluesassignedtotheoldvaluesontherightsideofthewindow“NewValue.”Afterenteringeacholdandnewvaluepresstheaddbuttononthepanelontheright.Whenfinished,thewindowshouldlooksimilartothatthatinFigure3.2.Notethatitispossibletotransformonevalueatatimebyclickingthe“Value”button,ortoenteraseriesofsequentialvaluesusingthe“Range”button.

9. Afterallvalueshavebeenenteredpress“Continue.”DoingthiswillreverttothescreeninFigure1,presstheokaybutton.ThiswillcauseanOutputwindowtopopup,ignorethisfornowandgotothedatasetonVariableView.

10. Thenewvariablecreatedisatthebottomofthedatasetbutnoticethatinformationismissinginthe“Label,”“Value,”and“Missing”cells.

a. Clickinthe“”Label”cellandenteraroughapproximationofthequestionbeingaskedforthenewvariable.Inthisexamplesomethinglike“RecodedLaborForceStatus”willsuffice.

b. Clickinthe“Value”cellandawindowsimilartotheoneinSPSSExercise1>Figure1.2willpopup.Keepinmindthatthenumericvalueisinsertedinthe“Value”boxandinthe“Label”boxthedescriptionofthevalueisinserted.Inthisexample“1”wouldbeenteredinthe“Value”boxand“Working“inthe“Label”box.

c. Clickinthe“Missing”cell,select“DiscreteMissingValues”buttonandenterthevaluesassociatedwiththe“Missing”attributes,inthiscase“0”for“NAP”(NotApplicable)and“9”for“NA”(NoAnswer).

11. Runafrequencydistributionforthenewvariable,wrkstatR.Verifythatthetransformationwascompletedcorrectlyandthatthenewvariableisproperlylabeled.

12. Savethedataset.Assignment:

1. Transformthevariable“Age”intoanewvariablethathastheagecategories“18-35”,“36-65”,and“66-89”where18-35=1,36-65=2,and66-89=3.

2. Transform“Relig”intoanewvariablewith“Christian”and“NonChristian”attributes.Christiancanhavethenewvalue1andNon-Christianthenewvalue2.ForthepurposeofthisassignmentProtestants,Catholics,OrthodoxChristians,andChristianareChristians.Everyotherattribute(ExcludingDK,NA,andNAP)willberecodedasNonChristians

3. TransformthevariablesEMPATHY2,EMPATHY4,andEMPATHY5intonewvariableswherethedirectionofthevaluesis“flipped.”

a. YouwillnoticethatfortheotherfourempathyvaluesthehigherthevaluethemoreempatheticapersonisyetforthevariablesEMPATHY2,EMPATHY4,andEMPATHY5theoppositeistrue.

b. Recodethisvariablesothatahighnumberindicatesahighlevelofempathy.Thatis,themoreempatheticaperson’sresponseisthehighertheirscoreonthatitemshouldbe.

c. Ifanattributeisvaluedas5itshouldberecodedas1(if4=2,3=3,2=4,1=5).

d. 1canbelabeled“VeryLowEmpathy,”2=“LowEmpathy,”3=“Neutral,”4=“HighEmpathy,”and5=VeryHighEmpathy.”

4. MakeafrequencydistributiontableforthevariableAgeR.5. Writeareportwhereyou:

a. Describewhatitmeanstotransform/recodeavariable.b. Discussanyproblemsencounteredwhilecompletingtheassignment

andhowtheywereovercome.c. AnalyzethetablemadeforAgeRd. Includetheoutputandthetableproduced

Figure3.1.

Figure3.2.