How To Use SPSS For

Analyzing Basic Quantitative

Research Questions
SUMMER INSTITUTE, 2016

Steven A. Hecht
Maria R. Ligas 1
 TODAY WE WILL:
• Discuss how to get SPSS – rent it!
• Go over basics of SPSS
• Go over some popular analyses based on following
examples of research questions:
1. Was there significant improvement in reading scores
between pretest and posttest?
2. Were there significant differences between groups in
reading scores?
3. Were there significant differences between groups in
Posttest reading scores while controlling for initial
Pretested ability?
4. Did group, pretested ability, and estimate IQ all
uniquely predict Posttest reading scores? 2
• Discuss YOUR OWN research questions.
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3
 GET IBM SPSS

• You can rent SPSS.

• Different options depending on the
analysis you want to do and how long
you plan to use IBM SPSS

• http://www.onthehub.com/spss/
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SPSS DATA FILE (.SAV) HAS TWO
SCREENS
• Data view
• The place to enter data
• Columns: variables
• Rows: records
• Variable view
• The place to enter variables
• List of all variables
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• Characteristics of all variables
 BEFORE THE DATA ENTRY

• You need a code book/scoring guide

• You give ID number for each case
(NOT real identification numbers of
your subjects) if you use paper survey.
• If you use online survey, you need
something to identify your cases.
• You also can use Excel to do data entry.6
 ENTER DATA IN SPSS

Columns:
variables

Rows:
cases

Data View
Tab

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 ENTER VARIABLES

Under
Variable
View

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 ENTER VARIABLES

4.
2. Type Description
variable of variable
name

3. Type:
numeric or
string

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Based on ENTER VALUE LABELS
your code
book! FOR VARIABLES IF NEEDED
ENTER DATA FOR YOUR CASES

Under Data
View

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IMPORT DATA FROM
EXCEL!
• Select File Open Data
• Choose Excel as file type
• Select the file you want to import
• Then click ok

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 CLEAN DATA AFTER IMPORT
DATA FILES

• Key in values and labels for each variable

• Run frequency for each variable
• Check outputs to see if you have variables
with wrong values.
• Check missing values and physical surveys
if you use paper surveys, and make sure they
are really missing.
• Sometimes, you need to recode string
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variables into numeric variables
 RESEARCH QUESTION #1:

Was there significant improvement

in reading scores for the same
students between pretest and
posttest?
Intervention or
Treatment
Pretest Posttest
Reading Reading
Scores Scores

• So, were the average reading scores different between

pretest and posttest? 14

• Use the paired sample t-test

 PAIRED SAMPLE T-TEST
• Analyze -> compare means -> paired sample t-test

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 PAIRED SAMPLE T-TEST
• Analyze -> compare means -> paired sample t-test
SPSS Output file (.spv)

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 PAIRED SAMPLE T-TEST
• Analyze -> compare means -> paired sample t-test
SPSS Output

If the value is .05 or

smaller, then the
difference is
statistically 17
significant!
 RESEARCH QUESTION #2:
Were there significant differences
between two independent groups in
math scores?

Groups
(IV) DV
(Control Reading
vs. scores
Treatment)

• So, were the average reading scores different between

Control Group and Treatment Group?
• You could use a t-test or Analysis of Variance. Lets 18
use
ANOVA
 ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE
• Analyze -> general linear model -> univariate

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 ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE
• Analyze -> general linear model -> univariate

If this value
is .05 or less
Here is your then effect is 20
predictor statistically
significant
 RESEARCH QUESTION #3:

Were there significant differences between

groups in posttest reading scores while
controlling for initial pretested ability?

IV
Groups DV
(control Posttest
versus
treatment) Reading

Covariate
Pretest
Reading 21
• You could use Analysis of Variance with a covariate
 ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE WITH A
COVARIATE
• Analyze -> general linear model -> univariate

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 ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE WITH
A COVARIATE
• Analyze -> general linear model -> univariate

covariate If this value

used to is .05 or less
Here is look at then effect is
group change in statistically23
predictor reading significant
 RESEARCH QUESTION #4:

Did group, pretested ability, and estimate

IQ all uniquely predict posttest reading
scores?
IV DV
Groups
Posttest
Covariate
Reading
Pretest
Reading

Covariate
IQ
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• You could use Analysis of Variance or REGRESSION

 REGRESSION
• Analyze -> Regression-> Linear

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 REGRESSION
• Analyze -> regression-> linear

covariate
Here is covariate Look! Group
used to
Group used to is no longer
look at
predictor control for significant! 26
change in
IQ
reading
WHY DID WE SHOW YOU REGRESSION?

Useful when we do not have groups, but

instead have several predictors of an
outcome
Letter
Knowledge Posttest
Reading
Pretest
Reading

IQ
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Motivation Vocabulary
 Please sign in and
print your name and
email address so that
I can email you these
notes! 
28
- What research questions do
you have?
- What kind of statistical
analysis would be appropriate?

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