Descriptive Statistics Descriptive Statistics Program Transcript MATT JONES: Some of the most basic, yet most frequently  used in useful sets   of statistics, are measures  of central tendency  and variability. Let's go to SPSS. To perform  a descriptive statistics  analysis, let's first click  on Analyze. And from   the drop down menu hit Descriptive Statistics. You'll see that there are a number   of options  to the right. But let's first start by  exploring frequencies. Let's say  I want to perform  a descriptive statistics  analysis  of the variable age of respondent. That is  I'd like to know some summary  statistics  about my  sample. I know this  is  a metric  or  interval ratio level variable because I can see the scale ruler  indicates  as  such. If I click  on it, I can click  on the arrow to move it over  to the Variables  box. I have to click  on Statistics  to tell SPSS  what statistics  I would like from  the analysis. For   measures  of central tendency, I'm going to select Mean, Median, and Mode. For measures  of dispersion, I'm going to select Standard Deviation, Range, Minimum, and Maximum. And you can certainly  select other  options  as  well. For  distribution, I'm provided with two statistics. I can request the skew or   skewness, and also kurtosis. Select Continue. I'm also given the option of selecting some charts  or  a figure. So I will select Charts. Since this  is  a metric  global variable, I think  that a histogram  is  the most appropriate graphical presentation. Once I hit OK, I will receive my  output. The first box  give us  all of our  summary  statistics. From  these, I can see my  variable, age of respondent, and that I have 1,483 valid cases  with 17 of them  missing. The mean age of my  sample is  49.21 years  with the median a 49 years. The most frequently  occurring or  the mode is  29 years  of age. The standard deviation or  the measure of spread how far  my data are dispersed in the sample is  17.55. Using the empirical rule, I know that approximately  68% of my  data will fall within this  range. That is  49.2 years  of age plus  or  minus  17.5 years. I have a skewness  statistic  of 0.273. A  statistic  of 0 indicates  no skewness  at all. That is  a perfect, normal distribution. The further  I get away  from  0, the further  I deviate from  a normal distribution. 0.273 is  rather  close to 0. And a half slightly   positive skew. ©2016 Laureate  Education, Inc. 1 Descriptive Statistics For  all intents  and purposes, as  far  skewness  is  concerned, I can consider  this   data non-­skewed. I have a kurtosis  statistic  of negative 0.801. Again, the further  I get away  from  0, the further  I deviate from  a normal distribution. Positive kurtosis  indicates  a pointy  and tail heavy  distribution. Negative kurtosis   indicates  a rather  flat distribution. I have a range of 71 years  of age, which is  the difference of my  minim.

1. Descriptive Statistics
Descriptive Statistics
Program Transcript
MATT JONES: Some of the most basic, yet most frequently
used in useful sets
of statistics, are measures of central tendency and variability.
Let's go to SPSS.
To perform a descriptive statistics analysis, let's first click on
Analyze. And from
the drop down menu hit Descriptive Statistics. You'll see that

2. there are a number
of options to the right. But let's first start by exploring
frequencies.
Let's say I want to perform a descriptive statistics analysis of
the variable age of
respondent. That is I'd like to know some summary statistics
about my sample. I
know this is a metric or interval ratio level variable because I
can see the scale
ruler indicates as such.
If I click on it, I can click on the arrow to move it over to the
Variables box. I have
to click on Statistics to tell SPSS what statistics I would like
from the analysis. For
measures of central tendency, I'm going to select Mean,
Median, and Mode. For
measures of dispersion, I'm going to select Standard Deviation,
Range,
Minimum, and Maximum. And you can certainly select other
options as well.
For distribution, I'm provided with two statistics. I can request
the skew or
skewness, and also kurtosis. Select Continue. I'm also given the
option of
selecting some charts or a figure. So I will select Charts.
Since this is a metric global variable, I think that a histogram
is the most
appropriate graphical presentation. Once I hit OK, I will receive
my output. The
first box give us all of our summary statistics.
From these, I can see my variable, age of respondent, and that

3. I have 1,483 valid
cases with 17 of them missing. The mean age of my sample is
49.21 years with
the median a 49 years. The most frequently occurring or the
mode is 29 years of
age.
The standard deviation or the measure of spread how far my
data are dispersed
in the sample is 17.55. Using the empirical rule, I know that
approximately 68%
of my data will fall within this range. That is 49.2 years of
age plus or minus 17.5
years.
I have a skewness statistic of 0.273. A statistic of 0 indicates
no skewness at all.
That is a perfect, normal distribution. The further I get away
from 0, the further I
deviate from a normal distribution. 0.273 is rather close to 0.
And a half slightly
positive skew.
©2016 Laureate Education, Inc. 1

4. Descriptive Statistics
For all intents and purposes, as far skewness is concerned, I
can consider this
data non--skewed. I have a kurtosis statistic of negative 0.801.
Again, the further I
get away from 0, the further I deviate from a normal
distribution.
Positive kurtosis indicates a pointy and tail heavy
distribution. Negative kurtosis
indicates a rather flat distribution. I have a range of 71 years
of age, which is the
difference of my minimum and maximum. As denoted here,
with the minimum
age of the sample, with the respondent being 18, and the
maximum being 89
years of age.
The next piece of output I'm provided with is the age of
respondents. Frequency
tables for metric level variables, that is interval or ratio
level variables, can be

5. somewhat overwhelming. Therefore, it's often recommended
that you only select
frequency tables for categorical variables.
But for the purposes of demonstration, you can see that in my
sample I have 4
respondents who are 18 years of age, 5 respondents who are
19 years of age,
going on up to 22 respondents who are 89 or older. I know
from my maximum
statistic that the oldest person or persons in the sample are 89.
Below I'm provided with a histogram. Again, a histogram is a
good visual
depiction of the data. And I can see from the distribution of the
data that this
rather closely resembles a normal distribution.
The analysis of age of respondent is appropriate because it's a
metric level
variable. But there are plenty of categorical variables that we
would like to
request descriptive statistics on. Let's look at an example.
Analyze, Descriptive Statistics, and remain within the frequency
dialog box. I
would like to request descriptive statistics on the respondents
highest degree.
You see highlighted here, with the three circles off to the left,
indicating this is a
categorical variable. Move this over to my variables box. If I
click on Statistics, I'm
not going to request central tendency, measures of central
tendency, or
measures of dispersion for this particular variable because of
its categorical

6. nature.
I can however, still request a chart type. I will request a bar
chart. Continue.
Once I click OK, I obtain my output. I can see here that I have
1,500 valid cases.
I requested only a frequency table, again, due to the
categorical nature of this
variable.
I see that 207 people in the sample have less than a high school
degree. 742
have a high school degree. 112, a junior college. 277, bachelor.
And 162, a
graduate degree. SPSS then breaks down the percentage of
these respective
categories for the sample.
©2016 Laureate Education, Inc. 2
Descriptive Statistics
If I scroll down, I'm able to see my chart. Again, another
visual description of the
data. Clearly I can see that for the majority of the sample, the

7. highest level of
education attained is a high school degree.
We've just gone through a couple of different ways to request
some basic
summary statistics from SPSS, both for interval ratio level
variables and also
categorical variables. How you obtain summary statistics from
SPSS or by which
procedure you do it, will often depend upon the context, what
you would like to
know, and how your variables are measured.
©2016 Laureate Education, Inc. 3
Introduction to Quantitative Analysis: Descriptive Analysis
In this Assignment, you will differentiate between the proper
use of summary statistics for categorical and continuous level
data. In this exercise, you will explore what output is provided
for each of these variables and provide some meaning from
these statistics for your reader. The ability to place the statistics
into a context that your reader understands and can make sense
of is a highly desirable skill.
For this Introduction to Quantitative Analysis: Descriptive
Analysis Assignment, you will examine the same two variables
you used from your Week 2 Assignment and perform the
appropriate descriptive analysis of the data given.
To prepare for this Assignment:
Review this week’s Learning Resources and the Central
Tendency and Variability media program.
For additional support, review the Skill Builder: Visual
Displays for Categorical Variables and the Skill Builder: Visual
Displays for Continuous Variables, which you can find by
navigating back to your Blackboard Course Home Page. From
there, locate the Skill Builder link in the left navigation pane.

8. Using the SPSS software, open the Afrobarometer dataset or the
High School Longitudinal Study dataset from your Assignment
in Week 2.
Choose the same two variables you chose from your Week 2
Assignment and perform the appropriate descriptive analysis of
the data.
Once you perform your descriptive analysis, review Chapter 11
of the Wagner text to understand how to copy and paste your
output into your Word document.
Write a 2- to 3-paragraph analysis of your descriptive analysis
results and include a copy and paste your output from your
analysis into your final document.
Based on the results of your data, provide a brief explanation of
what the implications for social change might be.
Use appropriate APA format, citations and referencing. Refer to
the APA manual for appropriate citation.
Resources Links:
https://laureate.acrobatiq.com/courseware/wal_oct16_Qual_reas
oning_10/week_2/skill_builder_4/wbp_visual_displays_for_cate
gorical_variables
https://laureate.acrobatiq.com/courseware/wal_oct16_Qual_reas
oning_10/week_2/skill_builder_5/wbp_visual_displays_for_cont
inuous_variables
HS Long Study_[student] (6).sav