SPSS cheat sheet
Block 1
Define variables in variable tab: type: numerical or String(text as value)
label: description of variable
values: click on dots and add
missing: have to be added as values and missing (9,99,999,...)
Enter data in data view (sometimes commas instead of dots as decimal separators)
Sort cases: DATA → SORT CASES → can be seen in the data view (with more than one variables
to be sorted, the order in which the variables are added to the sorting list gives
different results!)
Create Bar Chart: GRAPHS → LEGACY DIALOGS → BAR CHART: select variable
Graphs with selection: DATA → SELECT CASES → IF CONDITION IS SATISFID: specify
criteria (e.g. V6 = 1 or V7 < 1,60) → case numbers that don´t fit the criteria
are crossed out + filter variable has been added (don´t use it)→ create a graph
as described above
Undo selection: DATA → SELECT CASES → ALL CASES or RESET
Make Histogram: GRAPHS → LEGACY DIALOGS → (display normal curve) HISTOGRAM
Frequency table: ANALYSE → DESCRIPTIVE STATISTICS → FREQUENCIES: Statistics →
select stuff like mean, standard deviation, maximum, etc.
Descriptive Table: ANALYSE → DESCRIPTIVE STATISTICS → DESCRIPTIVES: Options →
select stuff like mean, standard deviation, maximum, etc.
Create side-by-side Boxplots: GRAPHS → LEGACY DIALOGS → BOXPLOT → determine
variables → select the groups that want to be shown side by side →
put on CATAGORY AXIS
Create Boxplot of separate variables: GRAPHS → LEGACY DIALOGS → BOXPLOT →
(include all data) summaries of separate variables
Changes of Graphs: OUTPUT FILE → double click on graph → CHART EDITOR opens
Compute new variables: TRANSFORM → COMPUTE VARIABLE → Target Variable: Name of
new variable → combine two variable with “+” (missing values can
be seen on new variable because one value in the former variables is
missing)
Case summaries (data of a few variables): ANALYSE → REPORTS → CASE SUMMARIES
Recoding a variable (values in new clusters): TRANSFORM → RECODING TO DIFFERENT
VARIABLES: name new variable → OLD AND
Block 1
Define variables in variable tab: type: numerical or String(text as value)
label: description of variable
values: click on dots and add
missing: have to be added as values and missing (9,99,999,...)
Enter data in data view (sometimes commas instead of dots as decimal separators)
Sort cases: DATA → SORT CASES → can be seen in the data view (with more than one variables
to be sorted, the order in which the variables are added to the sorting list gives
different results!)
Create Bar Chart: GRAPHS → LEGACY DIALOGS → BAR CHART: select variable
Graphs with selection: DATA → SELECT CASES → IF CONDITION IS SATISFID: specify
criteria (e.g. V6 = 1 or V7 < 1,60) → case numbers that don´t fit the criteria
are crossed out + filter variable has been added (don´t use it)→ create a graph
as described above
Undo selection: DATA → SELECT CASES → ALL CASES or RESET
Make Histogram: GRAPHS → LEGACY DIALOGS → (display normal curve) HISTOGRAM
Frequency table: ANALYSE → DESCRIPTIVE STATISTICS → FREQUENCIES: Statistics →
select stuff like mean, standard deviation, maximum, etc.
Descriptive Table: ANALYSE → DESCRIPTIVE STATISTICS → DESCRIPTIVES: Options →
select stuff like mean, standard deviation, maximum, etc.
Create side-by-side Boxplots: GRAPHS → LEGACY DIALOGS → BOXPLOT → determine
variables → select the groups that want to be shown side by side →
put on CATAGORY AXIS
Create Boxplot of separate variables: GRAPHS → LEGACY DIALOGS → BOXPLOT →
(include all data) summaries of separate variables
Changes of Graphs: OUTPUT FILE → double click on graph → CHART EDITOR opens
Compute new variables: TRANSFORM → COMPUTE VARIABLE → Target Variable: Name of
new variable → combine two variable with “+” (missing values can
be seen on new variable because one value in the former variables is
missing)
Case summaries (data of a few variables): ANALYSE → REPORTS → CASE SUMMARIES
Recoding a variable (values in new clusters): TRANSFORM → RECODING TO DIFFERENT
VARIABLES: name new variable → OLD AND
