Using the Variables Tool 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 shows using the Variables Tool 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.  

The Variables Tool sits on the Toolbar. The Toolbar has many useful buttons that make working in IBM SPSS Statistics easier. Some of the most useful tools on the Toolbar are Dialog recall, Go to case, Go to variable, Run descriptive statistics, Find and Value Labels. Using the Variables tool in IBM SPSS Statistics allows users to obtain variable information for each variable in the data. Users can click on the Variables tool and select the variable they are interested in to get information. Or, users can click on the variable and select the Variables tool to obtain information. 

For example, we are interested in a survey question about ‘Confidence in Education’. To get information on this variable, click on the column top in your data set and click on the Variables tool. The variables dialog box will open. On the left side of the dialog box is the list of variables. The Variable Information section contains the short name of the variable, the longer label, the variable type (F1), a list of missing values, and the measurement level for this variable. Below the Variable Information section, we can see each value and the label. Here, we can see the categories of this ordinal variable (A GREAT DEAL, ONLY SOME, HARDLY ANY, DK, NA). Users can select ‘Go To’ to select a variable from the list and go to that variable in the data set, or they can click ‘Paste’ to paste the variable name into a syntax file.