SPSS Homework: Central Tendency Assignment Instructions
Overview
This assignment is designed to increase your statistical literacy and proficiency in summarizing, visualizing, and interpreting central tendency within data sets. You will work within SPSS, using data that are related to specific research scenarios in the behavioral sciences such as psychology, social work, and counseling. A working knowledge of how to summarize and visualize data is fundamental to being able to understand and apply research in your related field to your practice. Additionally, SPSS skills are professionally valuable, as it is one of the most used statistical software packages in behavioral science settings, both academic and professional.
Instructions
This assignment includes two problem sets that contain research scenarios and related questions.
For each scenario, you will respond to a series of questions asking you to create and interpret various tables and charts in SPSS. Paste your SPSS output directly into the homework underneath each relevant question. Type written answers into the document underneath the question to which they relate.
This assignment is worth 60 points.
Review Watch: SPSS Homework Tutorial: Describing and Graphing Central Tendency and Watch: SPSS Homework Tutorial: Describing and Graphing Central Tendency for Groups in this module for directions on how to enter data in SPSS and use it to produce the final product for your assignment. The scenarios begin on the next page.
Problem Set 1: A neuropsychologist who works with clients over 60 years of age administers the Dementia Severity Rating Scale (DSRS; Clark and Ewbank, 1996) to the caregivers of 20 clients. On the DSRS, lower scores indicate a lack of, or low severity of, dementia symptoms; while higher scores indicate more severe dementia symptoms. The scores are contained in the table below.
DSRS Score
17
13
18
21
10
26
51
10
6
53
52
11
8
13
19
6
20
16
17
20
Using the data in the table above, set up a data file in SPSS and create a table of descriptive statistics using the “Explore” command. Paste the table here: (8 pts)
Using the same data, create a histogram showing the distribution of DSRS scores in the sample. Paste the histogram here: (7 pts)
List the mean and the median for DSRS scores. (4 pts)
Based on the information in numbers 1-3, which measure of central tendency would you use to describe this data set? Support your answer with material from the presentations and/or reading this week. (6 pts)
Locate the outliers in the data set. Based on your knowledge of DSRS scores, what would your recommendation be for the caregivers of the patients with these outlying scores? (5 pts)
Problem Set 2: The following data are based on numbers taken from the Bureau of Labor Statistics surveys from the year 2019 ( https://www.bls.gov/cps/aa2019/cpsaat39.htm ), for community, service, social science, and education occupations. They represent the average weekly pay for wage and salary earners measured during 2019 and broken down by gender. Enter these data into a new file containing one grouping variable for gender and one variable for salary.
For the Gender variable in column 1, code women as 1 and men as 2
Remember to define these in Value Labels as covered in the presentations.
There will be thirteen “1”s and thirteen “2”s (as many participants as in each group) in the Gender column in SPSS.
The corresponding earnings will be entered in the Salary column in SPSS.
Women Men
1358
1042
1095
942
579
1003
944
862
896
556
731
664
589 1870
1161
1262
1190
707
944
1108
1155
928
588
953
890
671
Using the data in the table above, set up your data file in SPSS and create a table of Descriptive Statistics using the “Explore” function that shows descriptives for women and men separately. Paste the table here: (8 pts)
What is the median salary for men in this sample? (5 pts)
What are the mean and standard deviation of salaries for women? (5 pts)
Using the same data, create a boxplot in SPSS to show the difference in salaries between women and men. Paste the boxplot here: (6 pts)
Locate the outlier in the boxplot. What effect does this data point have on the mean of weekly earnings for men? (6 pts)
