AE4010 – Research Methodology

Analyzing data using SPSS

3b. Analyzing data using SPSS

Dr. Ir. G.N. Saunders-Smits

3. Analyzing data using SPSS 1

What is SPSS

• SPSS stands for Statistical Package for the Social Science

• It allows its users to carry out numerous statistical analysis on

their data

• Is as good as the user that uses it!

• Can be downloaded and used under Campus Licenses Agreement

3. Analyzing data using SPSS 2

Start your own small analysis

• In 2012-2013 a questionnaire was filled in by students of AE4010

in week 1 of the lecture series in period 4.

• The questionnaire, its codebook and the SPSS data file of the
answers to the questionnaire can be found on Blackboard

• Ensure you install SPSS if you want to mirror the analysis

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How to enter data in SPSS?

• Fire up SPSS

• It asks you which file to open or whether you want to start a new
file

• Choose new file

• You now see two tabs: Variable View & Data View

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Variable View

This is where you define your variables:

• Each variable must be uniquely named under Name
• You then specify the type of data (numerical or string) under
Type
• Width indicates the number of spaces available (standard = 8)
• Decimals the number of decimals
• Label allows you to label your question
• Values allows you to create a legend for your values (e.g. 1 =
male; 2 = female)
• Measure allows you select the type of data in terms of scale,
ordinal and nominal

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Now let’s do some analysis
(use lecture1questionnaire.sav)

First let us check for input mistakes:

• Go to: Analyze ->Descriptive Statistics -> Explore
• In display check both is selected
• Click on variable: ‘why did you choose aerospace engineering’
and move to dependent variables
• Click on ‘number of survey’ and move to Label cases
• Click on statistics and click on outliers
• Click on Plots and click on histograms
• Click on options button and click on exclude pair wise cases

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Now calculate some statistics

For categorical values (nominal data)

• Go to: Analyze ->Descriptive Statistics ->Frequencies
• Move all categorical values into Variables box
• Click on Statistics button and select minimum and maximum

For continuous variables (scale & ordinal data)

• Go to: Analyze ->Descriptive Statistics->Descriptives
• Move all continuous variables into Variables box
• Click on options button. Select mean, standard deviation,
skewness and kurtosis.

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Graphics

SPSS can also generate graphical views:

• Go to: Analyze ->Descriptive Statistics -> Frequencies
• In Variables select ‘Why did you choose Aerospace Engineering?’
• Click on Statistics and select mean, median, standard deviation,
skewness and kurtosis followed by continue
• Click on chart and select histogram and tick display normal curve
• Click continue and then OK

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Those where the easy ones

• Now from blackboard download the .sav named

questionairelecture1.sav
• Create a Pie chart to show MSc track distribution
• Create a Bar chart to show the BSc distribution
• Tell me what the standard deviation and the mean is on each of
the career questions

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Pie chart

N = 58

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Bar chart

N = 58

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Standard deviations

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So that I could do in Excel…

Yes, you could!

• However, most data needs further analyzing. We are often

interested in correlations between different data.
• In order to do that we must select appropriate statistical methods
for discovering our correlations.
• The type of statistical analysis depends on the type of data you
have.

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Method selection

[source: Field- Discovering statistics using SPSS] 3. Analyzing data using SPSS 14
Test for normality
• Most methods have criteria that must be met in order to validly
use the method.
• Most common criterion is normality – i.e. the data is normally
distributed
• To test for normality in SPSS:
• Analyse -> descriptive statistics -> explore
• Move career variables into dependent list box
• Ensure both is selected
• Click on plots and select histogram and check normality plots with
tests and click on continue
• Click on options, select exclude cases pair wise, click on continue &
ok.

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Results

Sig must be > 0.05

So data is not
normally
distributed!
Luckily this is
usually not a
problem for using
analyzing
techniques
providing n > 30!

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Example statistics: t-test
• Our question is: Are students who are really into aerospace
significantly more likely to want a career in aerospace than
students who choose the degree because it is most
challenging/difficult?
• Test to use: independent sample t-test
• Assumptions:
• subjects can only belong to one group
• Dependent variable must be measured at interval or ratio level
• Random sampling
• Independent observations
• Normal distribution (Kolmogorov-Smirnoff Sig >0.05)
• Homogeneity of variance (Levene Sig >0.05)

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Normality Check

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How to…

• Analyze -> Compare Means – Independent Sample t-test

• Move dependent variable, i.e. CETAE to test variable
• Move independent variable, i.e. WHYAE1 to Grouping Variable
• Click on define groups -> For group 1 enter 1, for group 2 enter 2
• Click on continue and OK

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Results

First Levene’s Test for equal variances: < 0.05 so NOT OK!
You may not use t-test
Second: outcome here is irrelevant, no statistical valid conclusions
possible using this test.
If it was valid significance would have to be < 0.05 which is the case.
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Moral of the story

• “Garbage in, is Garbage out”

• Take the methods you are going to use in your data analysis into
account when designing your experiment
• Take note of assumptions of each methods and check that you do
not violate them
• Use the Manuals provided with your analysis tool as well as other
literature. It may help you greatly when you are stuck!

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