Social Studies 201 – Fall 2006

Computer Problem Set 1 – Due:  Monday, October 16

 

This assignment asks you to use data from the Survey of Student Attitudes and Experiences 1998.  The data set is available at t:\students\public\201\ssae98.sav – see the Survey questionnaire, the Survey Report, and the handout giving the list of variables in the data set.  These problems ask you to obtain statistics and write comments on the results.  When you have completed 1-5 below, hand in the printout of the SPSS output, along with your written comments.  Alternatively, if you copy the SPSS output to a file in Word for Windows and write the comments in that file, hand in a paper copy of this file. 

 

For each problem, 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), RESPECTG and RESPECTP (question 17), and SAFETY (question 19) 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) At the top of the third page of the Report on the Survey of Student Attitudes and Experiences are some statements and a table about multiculturalism.  These come from the variables M1 through M6 in question 30.  Obtain frequency distributions along with the statistics of mode, median, and mean for each variable.  Also obtain histograms for the “equal access” and “fund festivals” questions.   (b)  Explain how the results in the table at the top of page three in the Report were obtained.  Using the measures of centrality, write a short paragraph expanding on the paragraph at the top of page 3 of the Report.  Also write a sentence or two comparing the results from the two histograms.

3.      (a) Obtain stem-and-leaf displays for (i) number of hours worked at jobs (JOBHOURS) and (ii) number of hours worked at jobs as a dependent variable, classified by male and female (SEX) in the factor list, using Analyze – Descriptive Statistics  – Explore.  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, in words compare the distributions of hours worked at jobs for males and females.  Use the stem-and-leaf displays to determine the median and the mode of hours worked at jobs for each of males and females.

4.      (a) For variables EMP1 through EMP4 (question 37), 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 about how students view these issues.

5.      (a)  Using Analyze – Descriptive Statistics – Descriptives, obtain the mean and standard deviation for the four opinion variables V6 through V9, from question 15.  (b)  Using the statistics you obtain, write a short note describing and comparing the average and variation across these variables.  In particular, comment on the seemingly opposite answers to V8 and V9.