Social
Studies 201
Computer Problem Set 1
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 1-5
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 PRIORITY (question
13), RESPECT FOR GOVERNMENT, RESPECT FOR POLITICIANS (question 17), and
ACADEMIC EXPERIENCE (question 46) by using Analyze
– Descriptive Statistics – Frequencies. (b)
In a sentence or two, describe the frequency distribution for each
variable, commenting on any differences in views for the two parts of question
17.
2. (a) For each of the six multiculturalism
variables in the table at the top of the third page in Report on the Survey
of Student Attitudes and Experiences (variables
M1-M6), obtain a frequency distribution and histogram. (b) Write a paragraph comparing the
distributions of these variables. How
were the percentages in the table on the third page of the Report
obtained from the SPSS output?
3. (a)
Obtain stem-and-leaf displays for hours spent working at a job or jobs, that
is, JOBHOURS (as dependent variable), by SEX (factor list) by using Analyze – Descriptive Statistics – Explore for these variables. Also, obtain the histograms of JOBHOURS for
males and females 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
job hours by sex of respondent. Use the
stem-and-leaf displays to determine the median and the mode of hours worked at
jobs for each sex.
4. (a)
For variables PM1, PM3, and PM5 (problems of multiculturalism, question 32),
obtain frequency distributions, histograms and the following statistics: mean,
median, mode, standard deviation, and quartiles. (b) Using the data in the output, calculate the interquartile
range for each variable. Using these
data, write a short note on how students evaluate these potential problems with
multiculturalism
5. (a)
Obtain all the statistics for the five opinion variables, taxes on big
corporations should be increased (V5) to more dollars for health care (V9), the
last five variables of question 15, using Analyze
– Descriptive Statistics – Descriptives.
(b) Using the statistics you
obtain, write a short note comparing the responses. Do responses to the last two questions on health care appear
consistent with each other?