Lecture: Introduction to SPSS for Beginners

Presenter

• Dr. Todd Daniel
• Course: SPSS for Beginners
• Institution: RStats Institute, Missouri State University

Purpose of the Lecture

• Introduction to SPSS for beginners
• Aim to help new users get started quickly and easily
• Future videos will cover detailed analysis

Overview of SPSS

• Popular statistical analysis program
• Widely used in behavioral sciences (e.g., psychology) and other fields
• Strengths:
  • User-friendly interface with drop-down menus
  • Great for data handling
• Criticisms:
  • May encourage simplistic and mindless analysis
• History:
  • Originally "Statistical Package for the Social Sciences"
  • Created in 1968 for social sciences
  • Purchased by IBM in 2009
  • Now known as IBM SPSS Statistics

Getting Started with SPSS

• Open SPSS software and dismiss the splash page
• Compatible with older versions (e.g., SPSS 16)

SPSS Workspace Structure

• Two main views:
  • Data View
    • Spreadsheet-like interface
    • Rows represent participants, columns represent variables
    • Entering a number automatically names variables (e.g., VAR00001)
  • Variable View
    • Variables are in rows, properties are in columns

Creating and Naming Variables

• Names should be descriptive; cannot contain spaces, special characters, or start with a number
• Use underscores or CamelCase for names with multiple words
• Example variable names:
  • ID
  • Gender
  • Height
  • Weight
• Adding labels for more detailed descriptions (e.g., "height in inches")

Variable Properties

• Type: Default is Numeric; can change to Date, Currency, or String
• Measure: Specifies scale of measurement
  • Nominal, ordinal, interval, and ratio
  • Interval and ratio are both "scale" in SPSS
• Additional properties:
  • Width: Determines entry size for string variables
  • Decimals: Default is two, adjust as needed
  • Column: Width of columns in Data View
  • Align: Justification of data (e.g., right-justified for numeric)
  • Values, Missing, Role (advanced use)

Basic Operations

• Create a new variable by typing a new name
• Adjust settings like label, decimals, and measure
• Default other settings
• Delete a variable by selecting and clearing it

Next Steps

• Begin entering data and running simple statistical analyses