Chapter 2
Frequency Distribution
This tutorial describes the procedures for constructing an ungrouped frequency distribution. The
leadership aptitude data in Table 2.2-1 of the textbook are used to illustrate the procedures.
1. Double click on the SPSS icon to open SPSS. This action opens the window shown here
that ask, What would you like to do?
2. Click on the Type in data button and then the OK button in the lower right corner. This
opens the SPSS Data Editor window. At the bottom of the window there are two
rectangular boxes: Data View and Variable View.
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Frequency Distribution
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3. Click on Variable View to define the characteristics of your variable. The SPSS Data
Editor window changes as shown here.
4. Fill in the columns in row 1 as follows.
Column 1, Name. Name the variable Score. A variable name can have no more than 64
characters. The first character must be an upper or lower case letter; the remaining characters
can be any letter, digit, or the symbols @, #, _, or $. No spaces can appear in the name. Also,
variable names cannot end with a period.
Column 2, Type. This column enables you to define the variable type. The default type is
Numeric.
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Column 3, Width. This column enables you to define the number of characters. The default is
8 characters.
Column 4, Decimals. This column enables you to define the number of characters to the
right of the decimal point. When you click on the Decimals cell, a scroll box appears in
which you can choose the number of decimals: scroll to 0.
Column 5, Label. This column enables you to provide a more descriptive label for the
variable. Type in Aptitude Score.
Column 6, Value. This column enables you to provide labels for various levels of the
variable. The default is None.
Column 7, Missing values. This column enables you to designate certain scores as missing.
The default is None.
Column 8, Columns. This column enables you to change the maximum number of
characters in a column. The default is 8.
Column 9, Align. This column enables you to determine the alignment of the columns. The
default is Right. The other options are Center and Left.
Column 10, Measure. This column enables you to specify the level of measurement of your
variable. The default is Scale. Scale denotes either interval or ratio measurement. The other
measurement choices are Nominal and Ordinal.
5. If you had a second variable, you would enter its name in row 2 and define the characteristics
of this variable. Because Table 2.2-1 only has one variable (Score), your SPSS Data Editor
window should be similar to the window shown here.
6. Click on the Data View button at the bottom of the window to see the window shown here.
Notice that the second column is now labeled Score.
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Frequency Distribution
7. Enter the 30 aptitude scores from Table 2.2-1 in the textbook into the Score column.
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8. To obtain an ungrouped frequency distribution, click on Analyze in the Menu Bar; select
Descriptive Statistics from the pull-down menu and then Frequencies. This selection
opens the Frequencies window in which you select the variable you want to analyze from
the box on the left.
9. There is only one variable, Aptitude Score (Score), in the left box and it is highlighted. The
small ruler in front of Aptitude Score (Score) indicates that the variable is numeric. Click
on the arrow button between the box on the right and the Variable(s) box on the left to
move the Aptitude Score (Score) into the Variable(s) box. Then click on the Display
frequencies tables box.
When the variable Aptitude Score (Score) appears in the right box, the OK button in the
lower right is highlighted. Click on the OK button This action produced the ungrouped
frequency distribution shown here. Notice that by default the smallest class interval is at the
top of the frequency distribution and the largest class interval is at the bottom.
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10. You can obtain an ungrouped frequency distribution in which the largest class interval is at
the top of the frequency distribution. Click on the Format button and then the OK button in
the Frequencies window shown here.
11. Clicking on the Format button and the OK button opens the Frequencies: Format
window.
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12. Click on the Descending values button and then the Continue button. This action
returns you to the Frequencies window. Click on the OK button to obtain the following
frequency distribution.
© 2008 Roger E. Kirk