Quick Frequencies in IBM SPSS Statistics

To improve your experience using IBM SPSS Statistics, the Version 1 SPSS experts have created various Tech Tips. This Tech Tip looks at obtaining quick frequencies in IBM SPSS Statistics. 

In IBM SPSS Statistics, you can work inside a single, integrated interface to run descriptive statistics, regression, advanced statistics and machine learning models. You can create publication-ready charts, tables, and decision trees in one tool. IBM SPSS Statistics is easy to use, provides analysis automation, comprehensive statistical tools, integration with open source, and help at your fingertips. 

Frequency counts are a simple summary measure for categorical data. Frequencies in IBM SPSS Statistics provide both tables and charts. To run a Frequencies procedure, go to the Analyze menu and select Descriptive Statistics and Frequencies. Once the Frequencies dialogue box is open, select the variables for analysis. You can drag the variables from the variable list on the left to the Variable(s) box on the right. Alternatively, you can click the variable name and the arrow to move the variable into the box. 

Click the Statistics button to select Statistics. The statistics are Percentile Values, Measures of Central Tendency, Dispersion and Distribution. For example, selecting Mode will include the modal value in the Statistics table. Once you have selected statistics, click Continue to return to the main dialogue box. To create a chart, click on the Charts button and select the desired Chart Type and Chart Values. Click Continue to go back to the main dialogue box. 

Click the Format button to select how to order Frequencies. Order options are Ascending values, Descending values, Ascending counts and Descending counts. The settings for Multiple Variables control how the output is displayed. Once Format settings are chosen, click Continue to return to the main dialogue box. Click OK to run to obtain your frequency table and chart. This provides a table and chart for your variables.