Chapter 1
The Nature of SPSS
1.1 GETTING STARTED WITH SPSS FOR
WINDOWS
Windows
SPSS for Windows is a versatile computer package that will perform a wide variety
of statistical procedures. When using SPSS, you will encounter several
types of windows. The window with which you are working at any given time is
called the active window. Four types of windows are:
Data Editor Window. This window shows the contents of the current data file.
A blank data editor window automatically opens when you start SPSS for
Windows; only one data window can be open at a time. From this window,
you may create new data files or modify existing ones.
Output Viewer Window. This window displays the results of any statistical
procedures you run, such as descriptive statistics or frequency distributions.
All tables and charts are also displayed in this window. The viewer window
automatically opens when you create output.
Chart Editor Window. In this window, you can modify charts and plots. For
instance, you can rotate axes, change the colors of charts, select different
fonts, and rotate three-dimensional scatter plots.
4 1.1 GETTING STARTED WITH SPSS FOR WINDOWS
Syntax Editor Window. You will use this window if you wish to use SPSS
syntax to run commands instead of clicking on the pull-down menus. An advantage
to this method is that it allows you to perform special features of
SPSS that are not available through dialog boxes. Syntax is also an excellent
way to keep a record of your analyses.
To start an SPSS session, select SPSS from the programs submenu on the
Windows Start menu. Figure 1.1 shows what the screen will look like when
SPSS for Windows first opens.