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The aim of this workshop is to use SPSS to carry out a Pearson’s correlation and a Spearman’s correlation.
After this workshop you will be able to:
A correlation is a non-experimental statistic designed to measure the strength and degree of association between two variables. The question is, can one variable reliably predict another variable.
There are two types of correlation. A Pearson’s correlation is used when the data is parametric (interval/ratio). A Spearman’s correlation is used if the data is non-parametric (ordinal).
A study was conducted to investigate whether 5 students scores on their maths test (marks out of 100) were related to their fish consumption (lbs) in the previous 2 hours. The Professor thought that the more pounds of fish the students had consumed, the better they would be at maths (fish supposedly a brain food and all!)
Task 1: Would you use a Spearman’s correlation or a Pearson’s correlation to test this prediction? Decide whether the prediction is directional.
Task 2: Open SPSS and enter this data set.
The appropriate statistic to test our prediction for scenario 1 is the Pearson’s correlation. Once you have entered the data correctly and saved it to disc you can carry out the Pearson’s correlation using the following procedure.
After creating illustrative statistics in SPSS you are often required to import the graph into a Microsoft Word document. The procedure for this is quite simple. However, SPSS only allows you to import one frame at a time, i.e. only one chart at a time.
N.B. You can now modify the graph if you wish (i.e. the size).
Task 5: Decide whether we can accept our prediction.
Two judges rated the presentations of ten students (points out of 10, 1 being poor and 10 meaning swot). It is expected that the scores would be similar.
The appropriate statistic to test our prediction for scenario 2 is the Spearman’s correlation.
Task 8: Once you have entered the data correctly and saved it to disc you can carry out the Spearman’s correlation and produce illustrative statistics for the second scenario. Decide whether our prediction can be accepted.
The table below should now appear in the Output window. Details of results to be recorded include N (the number of participants), r (Spearman’s Rho value) and p(the level of significance indicated with an asterix toward the information just underneath the table.
In addition, to gain further understanding of the association between the two judges ratings, the appropriate correlational illustrative statistics are required. These are, of course, the scattergram.
Once the scattergram has been produced, follow the instructions in the previous example to insert a regression line.
Task 10: Decide whether we can accept our prediction.
Apply» Faculties & Departments» Department of Psychology» Labs» SPSS statistical procedures» Correlation
