Analyzing Categorical Variables Separately By Ruben Geert van den Berg under SPSS Data Analysis. Let's use the compute command to make a new variable that has the length in feet instead of inches, called lenft. For example, if you are grouping BMI you might use the name ’BMIgroup’. If I understand you, you want to replace string variables with a code, so you can analyse it whit a chi-square test, appropiate for categorical data. It also adds the string value as a label to the numeric value. Recoding variables in SAS. One higher group (which is beyond the normal tabulation or lower group) Next, RECODE usually used for CHI-SQUARE analysissteps to make your continuous data become categorical variables. However, this is not the case for the Recode into Different Variables procedure in SPSS … Repeat this procedure for all variables to be dichotomized before proceeding further. 4. Example: The data given below represents runs scored by 5 batsmen in a national-level match. It isn’t unusual for this data to have been entered as string values — alphanumeric characters. Alternatively, you may be trying to create a total awareness variable. If the new values are shorter than the defined width of the target variable, the values are right-padded with blanks. The following command accomplishes this: RECODE q1 (5=1)(4=2)(2=4)(1=5). When analyzing your data, you sometimes just want to gain some insight into variables separately. You can also use the recode command to recode more than one variable at a time. In IBM SPSS Statistics, people frequently have categorical variables with lots of values. Click the If button in the lower left corner of the Compute Variable dialog. 2 Put the variable you want to recode in the Input Variable → Output Variable box. Doing so with syntax is wayfaster than with the menu, especially if you want to recode many variables at once. Click the “ Transform ” menu at the top of the SPSS data sheet, then select “ Recode Into Different Variable,” because you will transform the categorical variable into one or more dichotomous or dummy variables. You can do this through Recode into different variable. Regardless of the coding system you choose, the overall effect of the categorical variable … Or we might want to make loglen which is the natural log of length. Using the RECODE, we can ask the SPSS to detect and class those data into two groups. Click on Change. The recode command recodes a nominal variable that has a limited number of values.. Click on Old and New Values. *varXX represents the last variable in your data. You may follow along by downloading and opening hospital.sav. There are a variety of coding systems that can be used when recoding categorical variables, and which one you select depends on the comparisons that you want to make. Note that you'll often want to apply or adjust some value labels after recoding. There are a variety of coding systems that can be used when recoding categorical variables. Suppose we wanted to make a variable called length2 which has lengthsquared. In almost every situation, you want to use Into Different Variables.Recoding Into Same Variables replaces the values in the existing variable. In the Compute Variable dialog, type "event_shift" (without the quotes) into the Target Variable box and type "1" (without quotes) into the Numeric Expression box. 2. I have an spss datafile which separated responses from two groups of participants on the same survey question into two variables in SPSS (i.e. IF (score > 90) grade=4. including nominal and ordinal variables in linear regression analysis You really should avoid alphanumerics, though, and there is a simple way to make the data better: the Automatic Recode command. Renaming a variable simply changes the name of that variable while leaving everything else the same. The variable length contains the length of the car in inches. Let’s use the auto data for our examples. This tutorial shows how to do so for dichotomous or categorical variables. Recode the data so that the batsmen are rank ordered by their number of runs, with the batsman with the highest runs given a code of "1" and the batsman with the lowest runs given a "5". A step by step guide to recoding AGE variables into generational groups in SPSS. Background: I have two variables based on the same item of a survey. In this section we will see how to create new variables with compute. 3.6 Continuous and Categorical variables 3.7 Interactions of Continuous by 0/1 Categorical variables 3.8 Continuous and Categorical variables, interaction with 1/2/3 variable 3.9 Summary 3.10 For more information . SPSS will not stop you from using a continuous variable as a splitting variable, but it is a bad idea to try to attempt this; SPSS will see each unique numeric value as a distinct category. We may need to convert a continuous variable into a categorical one eg Age from a list of numbers to groups less than 20 21-30, over 31. Recoding both string and numeric variables in SPSS is usually done with RECODE. The name of the variable, which is used to refer to that variable in syntax. I have an spss datafile which separated responses from two groups of participants on the same survey question into two variables in SPSS (i.e. The splitting variable(s) should be nominal or ordinal categorical. Select the variable to be dichotomized. A format is a named, pre-defined pattern that tells SPSS how to interpret and/or display different types of variables. There are two ways of recoding a variable. The IF command. 3. Values that do not meet any of the conditions of the rules are left unchanged, unless an otherwise rule is specified. Consider the example of a […] In that case you would use a system called simple coding. SPSS offers two choices under the recode command: Into Same Variable and Into Different Variables. The first step in doing so is creating appropriate tables and charts. Published with written permission from SPSS Statistics, IBM Corporation. Suppose you want to recode an existing variable q1 so that the scale is inverted (i.e., 5=1, 4=2, 3=3, 2=4, 1=5). SPSS Statistics Recode single values in SPSS Statistics. The result is shown in the screenshot below. Note that you can shorten the comman… Published with written permission from SPSS Statistics, IBM Corporation. Below we see summary statistics for length. Note that all variables are numericwith proper value labels applied to them. A new dialog, Compute Variable: If Cases, will open. You can combine variables in SPSS by following a rather simple process. The command Into Same Variable replaces existing data with new values, but the command Into Different Variables adds a new variable to the data set.. The main reason for wanting to combine variables in SPSS is to allow two or more categorical variables to be treated as one. RANK VARIABLES = var1 TO varXX /rank into rvar1 to rvarXX /NTILES (99) INTO new1 to newXX. Screenshots of every step is provided in an easy to follow tutorial of how to … Slideshare uses cookies to improve functionality and performance, and to provide you with relevant advertising. Transfer the variable you want to recode by selected it and pressing the button, and give the new variable a name and label. I am trying to build a syntax. How to Recode Variables in SPSS. The variable rep78 is coded 1 through 5 standing for poor, fair, average, good and excellent. *rank the variables and determine the percentiles. 3.0 Introduction. For example, you may want to compare each level of the categorical variable to the lowest level (or any given level). Instead, they need to be recoded into a series of variables which can then be entered into the regression model. Target variables must already exist. In SPSS, you have two options for collapsing and recoding continuous variables: the IF command and the RECODE command.. Value 6 is is left unaltered. Suppose you have a variable score that you need to collapse into five distinct categories in a new variable grade:. Transfer the variable you want to recode by selected it and pressing the button, and give the new variable a name and label. In the previous two chapters, we have focused on regression analyses using continuous variables. Select Transform/Recode/Into Different Variables. Now say we'd like to combine “doctor_rating” and “nurse_rating” (near the end of the file). Fortunately, the Create Dummy Variables procedure in SPSS Statistics version 22 and above automatically creates a dummy variable for every category of your categorical independent variable. Below is syntax that will generate percentiles and recode them into new variables. If the variables are next to each other, you can use the TO syntax. In the Output Variable box, type in a name for the new (grouped) variable. We'll dichotomize variables v4 to v6 by changing values 1, 2 and 3 into 0 and values 4 and 5 into 1 as implied by recode v4 to v6 (1,2,3 = 0)(4,5 = 1). Click on right-arrow button and type in name of new variable, then press Change. 2 Categorising a continuous variable 1 Choose Transform, Recode, Into Different Variables. 5. Click on T ransform > R ecode Into Different Variables... in the top menu. Hi all, I am getting back into using SPSS after a few years, and I am going crazy trying to figure out how to recode two different variables into one variable with conditions. Variable names can not contain spaces. recode — Recode categorical variables DescriptionQuick startMenuSyntax OptionsRemarks and examplesAcknowledgmentAlso see Description recode changes the values of numeric variables according to the rules specified. After recoding we must respecify the value labels for all three variables. For example, we may want to rename a variable called Sex to Gender. When reading data containing dates or using certain date-time functions, we need to tell SPSS which date format to use, so that it knows how to correctly parse the components of the input string. To create a new string variable, declare the variable with the STRING command before specifying it on RECODE. To change a variable's name, double-click on the name of the variable that you wish to r… SPSS will sort the string values from highest to lowest (or vice versa) and then assign consecutive numbers to the values. Recoding Variables 1. The easiest way is to let SPSS automatically do it for you. 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