Math 123 (Introduction to Statistics)
SPSS Lab Exercise #0
Sophisticated statistical methods almost always
require the use of a computer. SPSS is one
of the more sophisticated statistical software packages and has capabilities
that range from finding simple descriptive statistics to performing very
sophisticated statistical techniques.
(SPSS is an abbreviation for Statistical Package for the Social
Sciences; the software has its origin in efforts to develop computational
methods of statistical analysis in the social sciences.) This is the first in a series of several lab
exercises requiring the use of SPSS statistical software.
Step 1: First you must log onto
your account on the college's computer network. (See someone in IT Services
(the computer center) located in the basement of the Academic Center for help
with this, if necessary.)
Step 2: After logging on, you will
now copy all data files needed to do SPSS Labs into your personal folder on the
network; it would be a good idea for you to first create a folder devoted to
all SPSS labs for the course. Then,
click on each of the following SPSS file names and saving the corresponding
file to your personal folder on the network: biking.sav, bill.sav, smoke.sav, sportcar.sav,
student.sav,
survey.sav. (Lab
monitors can help with this, if necessary.)
Step 3: Find out how to access the
SPSS Statistical Package on the college network, and be sure to make a note of
how to do this in the future whenever you need SPSS for a homework
assignment. (Lab monitors can help with accessing SPSS from the
network, but lab monitors may not be knowledgeable about statistics or about
how to use SPSS.) When you first enter
SPSS, you may be confronted with a dialogue box asking you "What would you
like to do?" You can bypass this
dialogue box by clicking on the Cancel button.
Step 4: Once you have successfully accessed the SPSS
Statistical Package, you should see a blank data window on the screen
consisting of many rows and columns. If
you have not successfully accessed the SPSS Statistical Package, you should
find out ASAP from a tutor, a classmate, or the instructor what you are doing
wrong. You will need to be able to enter
the SPSS Statistical Package in future labs.
Step 5: Once you are satisfied that you know how to access the
SPSS Statistical Package for future labs, then use the menu options File>
Open to
open one of the five data files (pick any one you like) from Step 2 ,
each of which should now be available from your personal folder on the
network. Use the menu options File> Print to print a copy of the
data.
Step 6: Once you have printed your data file, you may exit
from the program (by selecting the menu options File> Exit). Then, write the following on your printed
copy of the data:
Your Name – Today’s Date – LAB #0 – MATH
123(your section)
Submit this printed copy to your instructor.