Recoding Variables in SPSS
This is a quick tutorial on how to recode variables in SPSS. In this dataset, let’s try recoding
“ethnicity” (which currently shows various ethnic groups) into just two variables—any minority
group (values of 2 or 3 on the original variable) vs. non-minority (values of 4 or 5 on the original
variable). Below, I have selected the variable in SPSS, but this is just to show you which one
we’re working on.
To do the recoding, we’re going to use the “Transform” menu in SPSS (usually we’re in the
“Analyze” menu for statistical analyses). From the “Transform” menu, select “Recode.” You
will see a sub-menu with two choices: Either you can recode into the same variable (which will
over-write your original data with the new data), or you can create a new variable to put the
recoded data into. Let’s put the recoded data into a new location, so that we can check our work.
Select “Into Different Variables” from the sub-menu.
This dialog box will appear.
First, select the “ethnic” variable from the left-hand list, and use the arrow to move it to the list
(in the middle) of variables that will be recoded.
Second, make up a name for the new variable where you’re going to put the re-coded values. I
just called my new variable “ethnic2.” Type the name in here, then click the “change” button to
make it appear in the middle list. Now the middle list should show that the values in “ethnic” are
going to become new values in “ethnic2.”
Finally, click on the button marked “Old and New Values” to continue.
Here’s how the screen looks after you have completed the steps above, and before you click “Old
and New Values” to continue.
This sub-dialog will appear:
Type in each old value on the left, and the new value that you want that number re-coded to on
the right. Then use the “Add” button to add it to this list on the right-hand side.
In this case, we have re-coded the values “2” and “3” to be “1”s instead, and the numbers “4”
and “5” to be “2”s instead. Zeroes have not been assigned a new value, so they won’t be
included in the re-coding.
Here’s the new variable in the data table. You can double check to see that all of the 4s and 5s in
the “ethnic” column have become 2s in the “ethnic2” column, and all of the 2s and 3s in the
“ethnic” column have become 1s in the “ethnic2” column.