Creating Graphs with SPSS
SPSS has a large variety of graphs from which you can choose. The selection is not as broad as some other statistical packages but for the vast majority of users, SPSS has plenty of options. To create your graph:
- In SPSS, from the Graphs menu, select Chart Builder. The following dialog box will appear and ask if you want to define your variable types.
- Select your desired type of graph (e.g., bar, line, scatter plot). Graph options will show up in the window on the bottom right.
- Drag the type of graph you desire from the box at the bottom of the dialog window into the box above it. A sample graph will appear in the upper box.
- From the list of variables on the left, drag the variable you want for the X axis and drop it in the space under the X axis. Click the OK button at the bottom right of the chart builder window.
Note: For more instructions on variables, visit Variable Types and Why They Matter in SPSS.
Note: This is not a preview of what your data will look like.
You now have your graph. If your graph appears differently than you expected, you may not have gotten the statistics you wanted. For example, the default statistic for a histogram is the frequency for each category; perhaps you wanted percentages. Or, many of your respondents may not have answered a particular question, and you had intended only to include the percentage of those who responded, not the total sample.
The next page in our graphics section, Beyond the Basics: Modifying Your Graphs in SPSS, explains how to fix these two common concerns.
Last updated:
February 22, 2010