SPSS ADVICE

Computing and Estimating Percentile Ranks, Standardizing

Graphing Cumulative Distributions
Here's a frequency distribution with percentile ranks, standard scores, estimated percentile
ranks, and error (difference between true percentile rank and estimated percentile rank.)
Note that these are all new variables, not statistics.
x
1
2
3
4
5

f
1
2
4
2
1

pr
10.00
30.00
70.00
90.00
100.00

stdx
-1.73
-.87
.00
.87
1.73

estpr
4.16
19.32
50.00
80.68
95.84

error
-5.84
-10.68
-20.00
-9.32
-4.16

It is recommended that 2 decimal places be used for all new variables.

To create these new variables for a frequency distribution, follow these steps:
ENTERING DATA
1. Enter the scores on x and the frequencies in f.
2. Under the Data menu, choose Weight Cases, then choose f as the frequency variable.
COMPUTING PERCENTILE RANKS
1. The percentile rank is just the same as the score's rank, described as a percent, where
ties get the rank of the highest case.
To get SPSS to compute percentile ranks:
Under the Transform menu, choose Rank Cases
Choose x as the variable
Click on the Ties box and choose High as the Rank Assigned to Ties
Click on the Rank Cases: Types box and
Check Fractional rank as %
Uncheck Rank (Unless you want cumulative frequencies)
Click on OK
SPSS will label the variable that contains the percentile ranks "PC".
You can just rename it PR , and label it for clarity.

COMPUTING STANDARD SCORES

SPSS will compute standard scores, but remember, it does not compute the standard
deviation accurately, so the standard scores will be a little smaller than they should be.
Under the Analyze menu, choose Descriptive Statistics, Descriptives
Choose x as the variable
Check the box Save Standardized values as variable.
Click on OK
SPSS will label the variable that contains the standard scores "zx".
You can just rename it StdX , and label it Standard Score, for clarity.
(Were only calling scores from the standard normal distribution z scores!)
ESTIMATING PERCENTILE RANKS
1. SPSS will estimate the percentile ranks using the z distribution, just as we do in class.
The estimates will be slightly different, just because the SPSS standard scores are slightly
inaccurate
Under the Transform menu, choose Compute
Fill in EstPR as the Target Variable and Estimated Percentile Rank as the label.
In the box Numeric Expression type in: CdfNormal(stdx,0,1)*100
(Or, you can just double click on CdfNOrmal in the Functions box,
then double click on Standard Score[stdx] in the variables box, then type 0,1 before
the parenthesis and *100 after)
Click on OK
COMPUTING ERRORS
Under the Transform menu, choose Compute
Fill in error as the Target Variable.
In the box Numeric Expression type in: EstPR-PR
Click on OK
Note that the errors in our example are all negative. This indicates that our estimation
procedure is biased, and tends to consistently underestimate the percentile ranks. For
example the true percentile rank of the score 3 is 70%, but the estimate is 50%.
The continuity correction described in the text reduces this error.
If the mean of all the errors was zero, the procedure would be called unbiased.

GRAPHING and COMPARING CUMULATIVE DISTRIBUTIONS

1. Cumulative line graphs
Line graphs are commonly used to show cumulative distributions. The horizontal axis shows
the scores on the variable. The vertical axis shows cumulative percent (percentile rank), or
cumulative proportion, or cumulative frequency. Cumulative line graphs never decrease as
you go from left to right.
100

80

60

40

Percentile Rank

Value

20

Estimated Percentile
0

Rank
1

X
Cases w eighted by F

Here weve combined two cumulative distributions: the percentile rank and the estimated
percentile rank. You can easily see the consistent underestimationthe estimated percentile
ranks are always lower than the actual percentile ranks.
HOW TO OBTAIN THE GRAPH ABOVE
First, make sure the variable x is sorted in ascending order!
(Or, if necessary, choose TransformSort, then choose x.)
Choose GraphsLine,
In the Line Charts box
Choose Multiple and Values of individual cases
Click on Define
In the Define Multiple Line box
Move Percentile Rank[PR] to the Lines Represent box
Move Estimated Percentile Rank[EstPR] to the Lines Represent box
Choose Variable in the Category Labels box
Move x to the Category Labels box

Click on OK

2. Using Scattergrams to create P-P Plots

Scattergrams can show the relationship between two variables. When theres a perfect
relationship, all the points will lie on a straight line.
A scattergram is unlike any of the previous graphs covered! The horizontal axis is one
variable and the vertical axis is another variable.
Here we show the scattergram relating Percentile Rank to Estimated Percentile Rank
100

90
4
80
70

Estimated Percentile Rank

60
3

50
40
30
2

20
10

0
0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Percentile Rank
Cases weighted by F

Not that for the score 3 on x, the percentile rank is 70 and the Estimated percentile rank is
only 50. Estimates will be extremely accurate if the points on this kind of scattergram are
very close to a straight line which goes through (0,0) and (100,100)a diagonal line through
the graph.
SPSS will automatically create a graph similar to this called a P-P Plot. It just uses
cumulative proportions instead of cumulative percents.

HOW TO OBTAIN THE GRAPH ABOVE

Click on the Graphs menu and choose the Scatter option.
A box labeled Scatterplot will appear
In the Scatterplot box,
If the box labeled Simple is not already highlighted, click on it to choose it
Click on the box labeled Define
A box labeled Simple Scatterplot will appear.
In the Simple Scatterplot box
Click on the independent variable Percentile Rank[pr] and move it to the
X Axis: box, by clicking on the box to the left of the X Axis: box
Click on the dependent variable Estimated Percentile Rank[estpr] and move it to the
Y Axis: box, by clicking on the box to the left of the Y Axis: box
Click on the OK box
A graph similar to the one on above should appear. (To edit the graph to improve its
appearance, double click on it.)
3. Creating P-P Plots directly with SPSS
Here is SPSSs version of the scattergram we just described, called a P-P Plot

Normal P-P Plot of X

1.00

Expected Cum Prob

.75

.50

.25

0.00
0.00

.25

.50

.75

1.00

Observed Cum Prob

Analysis w eighted by F

HOW TO OBTAIN THE GRAPH ABOVE

Choose GraphP-P Plot, then select the variable x to obtain the graph above. Rank
Assigned to Ties should be set on "High" This is the same as our scattergram except it uses
cumulative proportions instead of cumulative percents.