Statistical Package for the
Social Sciences (SPSS)
SPSS
By Desmond Ayim-Aboagye, PhD
HISTORY
 SPSS Statistics is a software package used for logical batched and non-
batched statistical analysis
 Long produced by SPSS Inc., it was acquired by IBM in 2009.
 The current versions (2015) are officially named IBM SPSS Statistics.
Companion products in the same family are used for survey authoring and
deployment (IBM SPSS Data Collection), data mining (IBM SPSS Modeler), text
analytics, and collaboration and deployment (batch and automated scoring
services).
 The software name originally stood for Statistical Package for the Social
Sciences (SPSS), reflecting the original market, although the software is now
popular in other fields as well, including the health sciences and marketing.
IBM CORPERATION: DEVELOPER
 1968 initial release
 Operating systems (Windows, Linus on Z systems, Linus, Unix, MacOS
 Platform in which this used is JAVA
 Type:
 Statistical Analysis
 Data Mining
 Text Analytic
 Data Collection
 Collaboration and Deployment
WEBSITE
IBM.com/marketplace/cloud/Statistic
al-analysis-and-reporting/
SPSS USES
 SPSS is a widely used program for statistical analysis in social science.
 It is also used by market researchers, health researchers, survey companies,
government, education researchers, marketing organizations, data
miners,[3] and others.
 The original SPSS manual (Nie, Bent & Hull, 1970) has been described as one
of "sociology's most influential books" for allowing ordinary researchers to do
their own statistical analysis.
 In addition to statistical analysis, data management (case selection, file
reshaping, creating derived data) and data documentation
(a metadata dictionary was stored in the datafile) are features of the base
software.
Base Software of the Program
 Descriptive statistics: Cross tabulation, Frequencies, Descriptives, Explore,
Descriptive Ratio Statistics
 Bivariate statistics: Means, t-test, ANOVA, Correlation (bivariate, partial,
distances), Nonparametric tests
 Prediction for numerical outcomes: Linear regression
 Prediction for identifying groups: Factor analysis, cluster analysis (two-
step, K-means, hierarchical), Discriminant
Base Software
 The many features of SPSS Statistics are accessible via pull-down menus or
can be programmed with a proprietary 4GL command syntax language.
 Command syntax programming has the benefits of reproducibility, simplifying
repetitive tasks, and handling complex data manipulations and analyses.
 Additionally, some complex applications can only be programmed in syntax
and are not accessible through the menu structure.
 The pull-down menu interface also generates command syntax: this can be
displayed in the output, although the default settings have to be changed to
make the syntax visible to the user.
Software
 SPSS Statistics can read and write data from ASCII text files (including
hierarchical files), other statistics packages, spreadsheets and databases.
 SPSS Statistics can read and write to external relational database
tables via ODBC and SQL.
Software
 Statistical output is to a proprietary file format (*.spv file, supporting pivot
tables) for which, in addition to the in-package viewer, a stand-alone reader
can be downloaded.
 The proprietary output can be exported to text or Microsoft Word, PDF, Excel,
and other formats. Alternatively, output can be captured as data (using the
OMS command), as text, tab-delimited text, PDF, XLS, HTML, XML, SPSS
dataset or a variety of graphic image formats (JPEG, PNG, BMP and EMF).
 SPSS Statistics Server is a version of SPSS Statistics with a client/server
architecture. It had some features not available in the desktop version, such
as scoring functions. (Scoring functions are included in the desktop version
from version 19.)
Originators
 The software was released in its first version in 1968 as the Statistical
Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) after being developed by Norman H.
Nie, Dale H. Bent, and C. Hadlai Hull
 Those principals incorporated as SPSS Inc. in 1975.
Versions
 version 10 (SPSS-X) in 1983,
 SPSS Statistics version 13.0 for Mac OS X was not compatible with Intel-based
Macintosh computers, due to the Rosetta emulation software causing errors in
calculations.
 Statistics 15.0 for Windows needed a downloadable hotfix to be installed in
order to be compatible with Windows Vista.
 Prior to SPSS 16.0, different versions of SPSS were available for Windows, Mac
OS X and Unix
 SPSS Statistics versions 16.0 and later run under Windows, Mac, and Linux
 SPSS Inc announced on July 28, 2009 that it was being acquired by IBM for
US$1.2 billion
Versions
 Because of a dispute about ownership of the name "SPSS", between 2009 and
2010, the product was referred to as PASW (Predictive Analytics Software)
 As of January 2010, it became "SPSS: An IBM Company". Complete transfer of
business to IBM was done by October 1, 2010. By that date, SPSS: An IBM
Company ceased to exist. IBM SPSS is now fully integrated into the IBM
Corporation, and is one of the brands under IBM Software Group's Business
Analytics Portfolio, together with IBM Algorithmics, IBM Cognos and IBM
OpenPages.
References
 Bryman, Alan; Cramer, Duncan (2011). Quantitative Data Analysis with IBM
SPSS 17, 18 and 19: A Guide for Social Scientists. New York:
Routledge. ISBN 978-0-415-57918-6
 Levesque, R. (2007). SPSS Programming and Data Management: A Guide for
SPSS and SAS Users (4th ed.). Chicago, Illinois: SPSS Inc. ISBN 1-56827-390-8.
 SPSS 15.0 Command Syntax Reference. Chicago, Illinois: SPSS Inc. 2006.

Statistical package for the social sciences

  • 1.
    Statistical Package forthe Social Sciences (SPSS) SPSS By Desmond Ayim-Aboagye, PhD
  • 2.
    HISTORY  SPSS Statisticsis a software package used for logical batched and non- batched statistical analysis  Long produced by SPSS Inc., it was acquired by IBM in 2009.  The current versions (2015) are officially named IBM SPSS Statistics. Companion products in the same family are used for survey authoring and deployment (IBM SPSS Data Collection), data mining (IBM SPSS Modeler), text analytics, and collaboration and deployment (batch and automated scoring services).  The software name originally stood for Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS), reflecting the original market, although the software is now popular in other fields as well, including the health sciences and marketing.
  • 3.
    IBM CORPERATION: DEVELOPER 1968 initial release  Operating systems (Windows, Linus on Z systems, Linus, Unix, MacOS  Platform in which this used is JAVA  Type:  Statistical Analysis  Data Mining  Text Analytic  Data Collection  Collaboration and Deployment
  • 4.
  • 5.
    SPSS USES  SPSSis a widely used program for statistical analysis in social science.  It is also used by market researchers, health researchers, survey companies, government, education researchers, marketing organizations, data miners,[3] and others.  The original SPSS manual (Nie, Bent & Hull, 1970) has been described as one of "sociology's most influential books" for allowing ordinary researchers to do their own statistical analysis.  In addition to statistical analysis, data management (case selection, file reshaping, creating derived data) and data documentation (a metadata dictionary was stored in the datafile) are features of the base software.
  • 6.
    Base Software ofthe Program  Descriptive statistics: Cross tabulation, Frequencies, Descriptives, Explore, Descriptive Ratio Statistics  Bivariate statistics: Means, t-test, ANOVA, Correlation (bivariate, partial, distances), Nonparametric tests  Prediction for numerical outcomes: Linear regression  Prediction for identifying groups: Factor analysis, cluster analysis (two- step, K-means, hierarchical), Discriminant
  • 7.
    Base Software  Themany features of SPSS Statistics are accessible via pull-down menus or can be programmed with a proprietary 4GL command syntax language.  Command syntax programming has the benefits of reproducibility, simplifying repetitive tasks, and handling complex data manipulations and analyses.  Additionally, some complex applications can only be programmed in syntax and are not accessible through the menu structure.  The pull-down menu interface also generates command syntax: this can be displayed in the output, although the default settings have to be changed to make the syntax visible to the user.
  • 8.
    Software  SPSS Statisticscan read and write data from ASCII text files (including hierarchical files), other statistics packages, spreadsheets and databases.  SPSS Statistics can read and write to external relational database tables via ODBC and SQL.
  • 9.
    Software  Statistical outputis to a proprietary file format (*.spv file, supporting pivot tables) for which, in addition to the in-package viewer, a stand-alone reader can be downloaded.  The proprietary output can be exported to text or Microsoft Word, PDF, Excel, and other formats. Alternatively, output can be captured as data (using the OMS command), as text, tab-delimited text, PDF, XLS, HTML, XML, SPSS dataset or a variety of graphic image formats (JPEG, PNG, BMP and EMF).  SPSS Statistics Server is a version of SPSS Statistics with a client/server architecture. It had some features not available in the desktop version, such as scoring functions. (Scoring functions are included in the desktop version from version 19.)
  • 10.
    Originators  The softwarewas released in its first version in 1968 as the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) after being developed by Norman H. Nie, Dale H. Bent, and C. Hadlai Hull  Those principals incorporated as SPSS Inc. in 1975.
  • 11.
    Versions  version 10(SPSS-X) in 1983,  SPSS Statistics version 13.0 for Mac OS X was not compatible with Intel-based Macintosh computers, due to the Rosetta emulation software causing errors in calculations.  Statistics 15.0 for Windows needed a downloadable hotfix to be installed in order to be compatible with Windows Vista.  Prior to SPSS 16.0, different versions of SPSS were available for Windows, Mac OS X and Unix  SPSS Statistics versions 16.0 and later run under Windows, Mac, and Linux  SPSS Inc announced on July 28, 2009 that it was being acquired by IBM for US$1.2 billion
  • 12.
    Versions  Because ofa dispute about ownership of the name "SPSS", between 2009 and 2010, the product was referred to as PASW (Predictive Analytics Software)  As of January 2010, it became "SPSS: An IBM Company". Complete transfer of business to IBM was done by October 1, 2010. By that date, SPSS: An IBM Company ceased to exist. IBM SPSS is now fully integrated into the IBM Corporation, and is one of the brands under IBM Software Group's Business Analytics Portfolio, together with IBM Algorithmics, IBM Cognos and IBM OpenPages.
  • 13.
    References  Bryman, Alan;Cramer, Duncan (2011). Quantitative Data Analysis with IBM SPSS 17, 18 and 19: A Guide for Social Scientists. New York: Routledge. ISBN 978-0-415-57918-6  Levesque, R. (2007). SPSS Programming and Data Management: A Guide for SPSS and SAS Users (4th ed.). Chicago, Illinois: SPSS Inc. ISBN 1-56827-390-8.  SPSS 15.0 Command Syntax Reference. Chicago, Illinois: SPSS Inc. 2006.