Due: February 6, 2004

This assignment asks you to use data from SSAE98 (Survey of Student Attitudes and Experiences 1998 – see the questionnaire from the Survey and the list of variables handout), obtain some statistics from these data and make comments on the results. When you have completed 1-6 below, hand in the printout of the SPSS output and the comments. You may wish to copy the SPSS output file to another program such as Word for Windows, write the comments in that file, and hand in a paper copy of this.

For each of the following questions, part (a) refers to what you are to do with SPSS. For part (b) of each of these questions, write the answers and comments in pen or pencil on the printout (or in a Word for Windows file).

1. (a) Obtain frequency distributions for each of the variables LIVING, YEAR, and SOCASST by using Analyze – Descriptive Statistics – Frequencies. (b) In a sentence or two, describe the frequency distribution for each variable.

2. (a) For each of the last three variables (increase corporate taxes, user fees for health care, more money for health care) in the table at the bottom of the first page of Report on the Survey of Student Attitudes and Experiences, obtain a frequency distribution and histogram. (b) Write a note comparing the distributions of these three variables. Also show how the numbers in the table in the Report were obtained from the SPSS output.

3. (a) Obtain stem-and-leaf displays for hours spent studying or STHOURS (as dependent variable) by YEAR (factor list) by using Analyze – Descriptive Statistics – Explore for these variables. Also, obtain the histograms of STHOURS for each YEAR by clicking on Plots, then check Histogram and Continue, prior to clicking OK. (Ignore or delete the boxplot on the output). (b) Using the histograms or the stem-and-leaf displays, write a paragraph comparing the distributions of study hours by year of program. Use the stem-and-leaf displays to determine the median and the mode of age for each of second and fourth year students.

4. (a) For variables UM1, UM3, and UM4, obtain frequency distributions, histograms and the following statistics: mean, median, mode, standard deviation, and quartiles. (b) Calculate the interquartile range. Using these data, in words compare the distributions of these variables – comment on whether or not responses to the questions appear consistent with each other.

5. (a) Obtain all the statistics for the eight variables describing hours spent at various activities (STHOURS to RELHOURS and JOBHOURS) using Analyze – Descriptive Statistics – Descriptives. (b) Using these statistics, write a short note commenting on the time students spent at various activities.