Defining Order of Output Labels

[cmacken]

My dataset has a variable, proficiency, that has the values +, -, and P.  I
added value labes such that + = high, - = low, and P = moderate.  On the
output the values for the variable are listed in the following order,  low,
high, moderate.  I assume that this has something to do with the way SPSS
evaluates values, - < + < alpha.  How can I force the output to appear in
high, moderate, low order?

When I set the values in variable view, I entered the value and the label
in the order that I wanted them to appear in the output (high, moderate,
low), but SPSS changed the order in the window to high, low, moderate.

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[John F Hall]

Candace

 

Best to change the values from alpha to numeric.

 

From your data editor, File > New > Syntax:

 

Write in:

 

RECODE proficiency ('+' = 1)('p' = 2)('-' = 3)

      INTO newprof.

FORMAT newprof (f1.0).

FREQ  newprof.

 

From syntax window:

 

Run > All

 

Hope that helps.  See also:

http://surveyresearch.weebly.com/note-on-spss-tutorials.html

 

 

John F Hall (Mr)

[retired academic survey researcher]

 

Email:     [hidden email]

Website: www.surveyresearch.weebly.com

 

 

 

 

 

-----Original Message-----
From: SPSSX(r) Discussion [mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of Candace Macken
Sent: 18 January 2013 11:15
To: [hidden email]
Subject: Defining Order of Output Labels

 

My dataset has a variable, proficiency, that has the values +, -, and P.  I added value labes such that + = high, - = low, and P = moderate.  On the output the values for the variable are listed in the following order,  low, high, moderate.  I assume that this has something to do with the way SPSS evaluates values, - < + < alpha.  How can I force the output to appear in high, moderate, low order?

 

When I set the values in variable view, I entered the value and the label in the order that I wanted them to appear in the output (high, moderate, low), but SPSS changed the order in the window to high, low, moderate.

 

=====================

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[Robert Jones]

Also look up the VALUE LABELS command in the syntax manual to see how to enable the values 1,2 and 3 to be translated to descriptive labels in your output.

[Jon K Peck]

You can use AUTORECODE to create a variable with the values recoded in reverse order.

Depending on the procedure, you can explicitly reverse the order.  FREQUENCIES, for example, allows for descending order, and CTABLES gives you complete control over the order of categories.

HTH,


Jon Peck (no "h") aka Kim
Senior Software Engineer, IBM
[hidden email]
new phone: [phone]




From:        Candace Macken <[hidden email]>
To:        [hidden email],
Date:        01/18/2013 03:16 AM
Subject:        [SPSSX-L] Defining Order of Output Labels
Sent by:        "SPSSX(r) Discussion" <[hidden email]>

---

My dataset has a variable, proficiency, that has the values +, -, and P.  I
added value labes such that + = high, - = low, and P = moderate.  On the
output the values for the variable are listed in the following order,  low,
high, moderate.  I assume that this has something to do with the way SPSS
evaluates values, - < + < alpha.  How can I force the output to appear in
high, moderate, low order?

When I set the values in variable view, I entered the value and the label
in the order that I wanted them to appear in the output (high, moderate,
low), but SPSS changed the order in the window to high, low, moderate.

=====================
To manage your subscription to SPSSX-L, send a message to
[hidden email] (not to SPSSX-L), with no body text except the
command. To leave the list, send the command
SIGNOFF SPSSX-L
For a list of commands to manage subscriptions, send the command
INFO REFCARD