Describing Variables with Measures of Central Tendency
Part A: Using SPSS to Calculate Measures of Central Tendency (22 points).
[NONE OF THESE QUESTIONS ARE FROM YOUR TEXTOOK]
To complete Part A of this assignment, you will need to use SPSS for Windows to analyze the data from the General Social Survey, 2006 datafile. You can access it through Blackboard, then the course website, then Datafiles. Save the file named GSS06-PFPB.sav. (This file contains data from 1,500 American adults interviewed in 2006.)
MAKE SURE THAT ALL OF YOUR TABLES HAVE COMPLETE TITLES AND THAT THE SOURCE IS INDICATED EACH TIME.
1. Choose a variable with a nominal level of measurement. Create the frequency and percentage distributions for this variable. Print out.
2. Create the appropriate measure(s) of central tendency for this variable. Print out.
3. Summarize what the measure(s) of central tendency tell you about this variable for American adults in 2006.
4. Choose a variable with an ordinal level of measurement. Create the frequency and percentage distributions for this variable. Print out.
5. Create the appropriate measure(s) of central tendency for this variable. Print out.
6. Summarize what the measure(s) of central tendency tell you about this variable for American adults in 2006.
7. Choose a variable with an interval-ratio level of measurement. Create the frequency and percentage distributions for this variable. Print out.
8. Create the appropriate measure(s) of central tendency for this variable. Print out.
9. Summarize what the measure(s) of central tendency tell you about this variable for American adults in 2006.
10. Now, split the sample into male and female groups. Calculate the mean for males for your interval ratio variable. Calculate the means for females for your interval ratio variable. Print out.
11. How, if at all, do males and females differ on your interval-ratio variable.
Part B: Calculating Measures of Central Tendency by Hand (8 points)
SEE CHAPTER EXERCISES IN YOUR TEXTBOOK
Question 4 (pages 129-130)--all parts
Question 6 (pages 130-131)--all parts
Due by Wednesday, September 30