SPSS Tutorial # Three

Open the Cars data fileas before.

From the SPSS DataEditor window, click onAnalyze.Choose DescriptiveStatistics.Then chooseFrequencies...

Choose the Miles perGallon [mpg] variablefrom the list on the leftand move it to the liston the right.Now click on Charts...from the buttons alongthe bottom of theFrequencies dialog box.

The Frequencies:Charts dialog boxallows you to selectseveral types of chartstyles. For the Milesper Gallon (mpg) data,we will use aHistogram.Please selectHistogram, and makesure the “With normalcurve” box is checked.Click on Continue...

Click on the Statisticsbutton and check theStd. deviation, S.E.mean, Mean, Median,and Mode boxes.Click on Continue...

Click on the Formatbutton and this timechoose Ascendingvalues, Comparevariables, and check theSuppress tables withmore than 10categories.Click on Continue...

Click on OK...

This is what the Outputwindow should looklike...Now, scroll down toview the chart underMiles per Gallon...

This is what your chartshould look like.We are going to playaround with the numberof bars in this graph.One way to do this is toclick on the valueslisted at the bottom ofthe graph (the valueslisted along the X axis).Click somewhereamong these values andbring up the ChartEditor window...

A new window appears.The name of thiswindow is Chart1 -SPSS Chart Editor.Notice how the valuesalong the X axischange.

The look of our chartcan be easily modifiedby clicking on valueswithin the chart. Herewe will first change thenumber of values alongthe X axis.To do this, click onCustom, then Define...

This will bring up theInterval Axis: DefineCustom... dialog box.This box is telling usthat the chart has 19intervals (# of intervals:19) and the range ofvalues goes from aMinimum of 9 to aMaximum of 47(4.66E+01 is scientificnotation telling us that4.66 is multiplied by 10to make 46.6 whichSPSS rounds to 47 forthis chart).

Change the number ofintervals from 19 to 8and click on Continue...Then click on OK...

Notice how the chartchanges. There are nowfewer values along theX axis, and there arefewer bars in the chart.We will now changethe number of bars(intervals) again byclicking on the valuesalong the X axis.

This will again bring upthe Interval Axis dialogbox. Click on Definenext to the Custombutton...

Change the number ofintervals (# ofintervals:) from 8 to 10.Click on continue...Then click on OK...

Notice that the labelsfor the X axis changeand the number of barschanges from 8 to 10.Go through thissequence once more tomake a graph with 12bars, as shown in thenext picture...

For the remainder ofthis Tutorial we willuse the graph with 8bars so please gothrough the sequenceone more time andmake a graph with 8bars. It should look likethe one in the nextpanel...

Now double click onthe label for the Y axis,that is, click onFrequency...

In the TitleJustification: box,change Left/bottom toCenter...Now try playing aroundwith all of the availabletools to edit your chart.These tools can befound along the top ofyour window as shownnext...

Click on each icon andview the resultingdialog box. For somechart editing tools to beactive, you must firstclick on the part of yourgraph you wish toedit...

For example, to changethe “fill pattern” foryour bars, you mustfirst tell SPSS you wantto edit the bars in yourgraph. To do this, justclick once on the barsin the graph.

When selected forediting, you bars shouldlook like this...Now select the"fillpattern" icon, andchange you fill pattern.Try clicking on each ofthe icons and changingyour graph.Be sure to add yourname like I did. Printyour graph and hand itin.You can see my graphbelow.

My graph.