What This Document Is
This is part one of a lecture from COMM 301L: Empirical Research in Communication at the University of Southern California. It focuses on essential statistical procedures within SPSS for handling survey data, specifically dealing with multi-item scales – those built from questions using formats like Likert scales. The lecture details the preparatory steps needed *before* conducting more advanced analyses on collected data. It’s a practical guide geared towards students learning to analyze communication research data.
Why This Document Matters
This lecture segment is crucial for any student undertaking quantitative research in communication. If your research involves measuring attitudes, opinions, or perceptions through surveys with multiple related questions, you’ll need to understand the techniques covered here. It’s particularly helpful when you’re ready to move beyond basic data entry and begin to rigorously test the quality and reliability of your measurement instruments. Students will benefit from this material when preparing data for analysis and interpreting the results of scale reliability tests.
Common Limitations or Challenges
This lecture focuses on the *preparation* of data for scale analysis. It does not cover the theoretical underpinnings of scale construction or the interpretation of complex statistical outputs beyond a basic understanding of reliability coefficients. It also doesn’t delve into alternative methods for assessing scale validity. This is a focused, step-by-step guide to *how* to manipulate data in SPSS, not a comprehensive course on scale development.
What This Document Provides
* An overview of the necessary data manipulation procedures for Likert and semantic differential scale items.
* Discussion of the importance of proper coding to ensure accurate measurement.
* Explanation of the concept of “reverse coding” and why it’s sometimes necessary.
* Guidance on using SPSS functions for recoding variables.
* Introduction to computing new variables from existing ones.
* Overview of how to initiate a reliability analysis within SPSS.
* Initial discussion of interpreting reliability analysis output.
