Adding with missing values

[angela shen]

Hi SPSS Listserve:
 
I'm trying to add 23 variables I have created and coded as
 
Var1:
Yes=1
No=0
Else= system missing
 
Var 2:
Yes=1
No=0
Else=system missing
 
etc...and when I add these 23 variables together I am getting missing values.  e.g. 1+0+0+"."+1+0 = "." instead of getting a value of 2.
 
I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong, but it's clear I'm doing something wrong.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks!
 


/Angela



Doctoral Student
Tulane University School of Public Health & Tropical Medicine
[hidden email]
 
Living on Earth is expensive,
but it does include a free trip around the sun.
 
 
 
_________________________________________________________________
Share your special moments by uploading 500 photos per month to Windows Live Spaces
http://clk.atdmt.com/MSN/go/msnnkwsp0100000001msn/direct/01/?href=http://spaces.live.com/signup.aspx 

[David Wasserman]

If you use the SUM function, it will sum only the valid values, ignoring the
missing values.  By default, it will give a sum as long as there is at least
one non-missing value.  There is an option (which I've never actually used)
to specify a number of valid values other than one required for a
non-missing result.

David Wasserman
Custom Data Analysis and SPSS Programming

----- Original Message -----
From: "angela shen" <[hidden email]>
To: <[hidden email]>
Sent: Sunday, October 01, 2006 9:39 AM
Subject: Adding with missing values


Hi SPSS Listserve:

I'm trying to add 23 variables I have created and coded as

Var1:
Yes=1
No=0
Else= system missing

Var 2:
Yes=1
No=0
Else=system missing

etc...and when I add these 23 variables together I am getting missing
values.  e.g. 1+0+0+"."+1+0 = "." instead of getting a value of 2.

I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong, but it's clear I'm doing something wrong.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks!



/Angela



Doctoral Student
Tulane University School of Public Health & Tropical Medicine
[hidden email]

Living on Earth is expensive,
but it does include a free trip around the sun.



_________________________________________________________________
Share your special moments by uploading 500 photos per month to Windows Live
Spaces
http://clk.atdmt.com/MSN/go/msnnkwsp0100000001msn/direct/01/?href=http://spaces.live.com/signup.aspx

[Dominic Lusinchi]

Angela,

If you simply want to count the number of "1"s in the list of variables for
each case then use the COUNT command (Transform>Count...) and specify the
value you are interested in, in this case "1". If the variables are
consecutive you can use the keyword TO, as in VAR1 TO VAR23, when you write
the syntax.

You can also use the SUM function with the COMPUTE command, but I think
COUNT is more convenient.

Dominic Lusinchi
Statistician
Far West Research
Statistical Consulting
San Francisco, California
415-664-3032
www.farwestresearch.com

-----Original Message-----
From: SPSSX(r) Discussion [mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of
angela shen
Sent: Sunday, October 01, 2006 8:39 AM
To: [hidden email]
Subject: Adding with missing values

Hi SPSS Listserve:

I'm trying to add 23 variables I have created and coded as

Var1:
Yes=1
No=0
Else= system missing

Var 2:
Yes=1
No=0
Else=system missing

etc...and when I add these 23 variables together I am getting missing
values.  e.g. 1+0+0+"."+1+0 = "." instead of getting a value of 2.

I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong, but it's clear I'm doing something wrong.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks!



/Angela



Doctoral Student
Tulane University School of Public Health & Tropical Medicine
[hidden email]

Living on Earth is expensive,
but it does include a free trip around the sun.



_________________________________________________________________
Share your special moments by uploading 500 photos per month to Windows Live
Spaces
http://clk.atdmt.com/MSN/go/msnnkwsp0100000001msn/direct/01/?href=http://spa
ces.live.com/signup.aspx

[Beadle, ViAnn]

If you are using a simple COMPUTE command:

COMPUTE Sumvar=Var1+Var2+Var3...

Then, if any variable is missing, the result is set to system-missing. As others have suggested, use either the SUM function in your COMPUTE command or use the COUNT command.

-----Original Message-----
From: SPSSX(r) Discussion [mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of angela shen
Sent: Sunday, October 01, 2006 10:39 AM
To: [hidden email]
Subject: Adding with missing values

Hi SPSS Listserve:

I'm trying to add 23 variables I have created and coded as

Var1:
Yes=1
No=0
Else= system missing

Var 2:
Yes=1
No=0
Else=system missing

etc...and when I add these 23 variables together I am getting missing values.  e.g. 1+0+0+"."+1+0 = "." instead of getting a value of 2.

I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong, but it's clear I'm doing something wrong.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks!



/Angela



Doctoral Student
Tulane University School of Public Health & Tropical Medicine
[hidden email]

Living on Earth is expensive,
but it does include a free trip around the sun.



_________________________________________________________________
Share your special moments by uploading 500 photos per month to Windows Live Spaces
http://clk.atdmt.com/MSN/go/msnnkwsp0100000001msn/direct/01/?href=http://spaces.live.com/signup.aspx

[Brian Moore-3]

And if you want the sum of all non-missing values you can use:

sum.1(variable list)

[the .1 indicates that at least 1 value must be non-missing]

-----Original Message-----
From: Beadle, ViAnn [mailto:[hidden email]]
Sent: Monday, October 02, 2006 6:03 AM
To: [hidden email]
Subject: Re: Adding with missing values


If you are using a simple COMPUTE command:

COMPUTE Sumvar=Var1+Var2+Var3...

Then, if any variable is missing, the result is set to system-missing. As
others have suggested, use either the SUM function in your COMPUTE command
or use the COUNT command.

-----Original Message-----
From: SPSSX(r) Discussion [mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of
angela shen
Sent: Sunday, October 01, 2006 10:39 AM
To: [hidden email]
Subject: Adding with missing values

Hi SPSS Listserve:

I'm trying to add 23 variables I have created and coded as

Var1:
Yes=1
No=0
Else= system missing

Var 2:
Yes=1
No=0
Else=system missing

etc...and when I add these 23 variables together I am getting missing
values.  e.g. 1+0+0+"."+1+0 = "." instead of getting a value of 2.

I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong, but it's clear I'm doing something wrong.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks!



/Angela



Doctoral Student
Tulane University School of Public Health & Tropical Medicine
[hidden email]

Living on Earth is expensive,
but it does include a free trip around the sun.



_________________________________________________________________
Share your special moments by uploading 500 photos per month to Windows Live
Spaces
http://clk.atdmt.com/MSN/go/msnnkwsp0100000001msn/direct/01/?href=http://spa
ces.live.com/signup.aspx