Includes bibliographical references and index.

Providing a practical, hands-on introduction to data conceptualization, measurement and association, this book gives students step-by-step instruction on data analysis using the latest version of SPSS(R) and the most current General Social Survey data.

Part I: Preparing for Data Analysis Chapter 1: Introduction: The Theory and Practice of Social Research Overview Why Use a Computer? SPSS Statistics Social Research: A Primer Theories and Concepts: Deprivation Theory Hypotheses and Variables: Religiosity Social Research Strategies: Inductive and Deductive Theory and Research in Practice Conclusion Main Points Key Terms Review Questions Chapter 2: The Logic of Measurement Validity Problems Reliability Problems Distinguishing Between Validity and Reliability Multiple Indicators Levels of Measurement Measurement and Information Measurement Options Classifying Variables as Discrete or Continuous Conclusion Main Points Key Terms Review Questions Chapter 3: Description of Data Sets: The General Social Survey Sampling Data Collection The Codebook: Appendix A Conclusion Main Points Key Terms Review Questions Part II: Univariate Analysis Chapter 4: Using SPSS Statistics: Some Basics Demonstration 4.1: Starting an SPSS Statistics Session Demonstration 4.2: Exploring the Data View Portion of the Data Editor Demonstration 4.3: Entering Data- A Preview Demonstration 4.4: Loading a Data Set Demonstration 4.5: Raw Data in Data View Finding Variable Information: Values and Labels Demonstration 4.6: Variable View Tab Demonstration 4.7: Ending Your SPSS Statistics Session Conclusion Main Points Key Terms SPSS Statistics Commands Introduced in This Chapter Review Questions SPSS Statistics Lab Exercise 4.1 Chapter 5: Describing Your Data: Religiosity Demonstration 5.1: Opening Frequently Used Data Files Demonstration 5.2: Setting Options-Variable Lists and Output Labels Demonstration 5.3: Frequency Distributions Demonstration 5.4: Frequency Distributions-Running Two or More Variables at One Time Descriptive Statistics: Basic Measures of Central Tendency and Dispersion Demonstration 5.5: The Frequencies Procedure Demonstration 5.6: The Descriptives Procedure-Calculating Descriptive Statistics for Continuous Variables Demonstration 5.7: Printing Your Output (Viewer) Demonstration 5.8: Adding Headers/Footers and Titles/Text Demonstration 5.9: Saving Your Output (Viewer) Demonstration 5.10: Saving Changes to Your Data Set Conclusion Main Points Key Terms SPSS Statistics Commands Introduced in This Chapter Review Questions SPSS Statistics Lab Exercise 5.1 Chapter 6: Presenting Your Data in Graphic Form: Political Orientations Graphing Data With Direct "Legacy" Dialogs Demonstration 6.1: Frequency Table-POLVIEWS Demonstration 6.2: SPSS Statistics Chart Editor Demonstration 6.3: Frequency Table-PARTYID Demonstration 6.4: Political Attitudes Demonstration 6.5: Histogram-AGE Demonstration 6.6: Line Chart-INCOME Saving and Printing Your Charts Conclusion Main Points Key Terms SPSS Statistics Commands Introduced in This Chapter Review Questions SPSS Statistics Lab Exercise 6.1 Chapter 7: Recoding Your Data: Religiosity and Political Orientations Demonstration 7.1: Modifying Variables With Recode-ATTEND (R) CHATT Demonstration 7.2: Recoding AGE (R) AGECAT Demonstration 7.3: Recoding POLVIEWS (R) POLREC Demonstration 7.4: Recoding PARTYID (R) PARTY Demonstration 7.5: Saving Changes to Your Data Set Conclusion Main Points Key Terms SPSS Statistics Commands Introduced in This Chapter Review Questions SPSS Statistics Lab Exercise 7.1 Chapter 8: Creating Composite Measures: Exploring Attitudes Toward Abortion in More Depth Demonstration 8.1: Identifying the Seven Abortion Variables-File Info Demonstration 8.2: Running Frequencies for Several Variables at Once Index: A Form of Composite Measure Demonstration 8.3: ABORT Index Demonstration 8.4: Defining ABORT Demonstration 8.5: Checking New Index-Comparing Scores on Old and New Variables Demonstration 8.6: Running Frequencies for ABORT Demonstration 8.7: ABINDEX Demonstration 8.8: Running Frequencies Conclusion Main Points Key Terms SPSS Statistics Commands Introduced in This Chapter Review Questions SPSS Statistics Lab Exercise 8.1 Chapter 9: Suggestions for Further Analysis Desired Family Size Demonstration 9.1: Respondents' Ideal Family Size (CHLDIDEL) Child Training Demonstration 9.2: Important Qualities for Children Attitudes About Sexual Behavior Demonstration 9.3: Index of Sexual Permissiveness Prejudice Conclusion Main Points Key Terms SPSS Statistics Commands Introduced in This Chapter Review Questions SPSS Statistics Lab Exercise 9.1 Part III: Bivariate Analysis Chapter 10: Examining the Sources of Religiosity The Deprivation Theory of Religiosity Testing Our Hypothesis: Correlating Religiosity and Gender Demonstration 10.1: Running Crosstabs to Test Our Hypothesis Demonstration 10.2: Interpreting a Crosstab With Limited Categories Demonstration 10.3: Correlating Another Measure of Religiosity and Gender Drawing Conclusions Carefully: Reassessing Our Original Hypothesis Demonstration 10.4: Interpreting a Crosstab With Ordinal Variables-Religiosity and Age Interpreting Crosstabs With Ordinal Variables Demonstration 10.5: Correlating Other Measures of Religiosity and Age Conclusion Main Points Key Terms SPSS Statistics Commands Introduced in This Chapter Review Questions SPSS Statistics Lab Exercise 10.1 Chapter 11: Political Orientations as Cause and Effect The Relationship Between POLVIEWS and PARTYID Demonstration 11.1: POLREC by PARTY Demonstration 11.2: PARTY by POLREC Demonstration 11.3: POLREC by AGECAT Demonstration 11.4: PARTY by AGECAT Demonstration 11.5: POLREC by RELIG Demonstration 11.6: PARTY by RELIG Demonstration 11.7: PARTY and POLREC by SEX Demonstration 11.8: POLREC by RACE Demonstration 11.9: PARTY by RACE Demonstration 11.10: Recoding EDUC (R) EDCAT Demonstration 11.11: POLREC by EDCAT Demonstration 11.12: PARTY by EDCAT Some Surprises: Class, Marital Status, and Politics The Impact of Party and Political Philosophy Saving Recoded Variable: EDCAT Conclusion Main Points Key Terms SPSS Statistics Commands Introduced in This Chapter Review Questions SPSS Statistics Lab Exercise 11.1 Chapter 12: What Causes Different Attitudes Toward Abortion? Demonstration 12.1: Gender and Abortion Demonstration 12.2: Age and Abortion Demonstration 12.3: Religion and Abortion Demonstration 12.4: Politics and Abortion Demonstration 12.5: Sexual Attitudes and Abortion Other Factors You Can Explore on Your Own Conclusion Main Points Key Terms SPSS Statistics Commands Introduced in This Chapter Review Questions SPSS Statistics Lab Exercise 12.1 Chapter 13: Measures of Association for Nominal and Ordinal Variables The Logic of Statistical Association: Proportionate Reduction of Error Lambda (l): A Measure Appropriate for Nominal Variables Demonstration 13.1: Instructing SPSS Statistics to Calculate Lambda (l) Interpreting Lambda and Other Measures Gamma (g): A Measure Appropriate for Ordinal Variables Demonstration 13.2: Instructing SPSS Statistics to Calculate Gamma (g)-Example 1 Demonstration 13.3: Running Gamma (g)-Example 2 (Reverse Scoring Case) Additional Measures of Association Analyzing the Association Between Variables at Different Levels of Measurement Conclusion Main Points Key Terms SPSS Statistics Commands Introduced in This Chapter Review Questions SPSS Statistics Lab Exercise 13.1 Chapter 14: Correlation and Regression Analysis Pearson's r: A Measure Appropriate for Interval/Ratio Variables Interpreting Pearson's r and the Coefficient of Determination (r2) Instructing SPSS Statistics to Calculate Pearson's r Demonstration 14.1: Recoding RINCOM06 (R) RECINC Demonstration 14.2: Using SPSS Statistics to Compute Pearson's r Demonstration 14.3: Requesting Several Correlation Coefficients Regression Analysis Demonstration 14.4: Regression Demonstration 14.5: Presenting Data Graphically-Producing a Scatterplot With a Regression Line An Indication of Direction and Strength of Association Measures of Association for Interval and Ratio Variables Analyzing the Association Between Variables at Different Levels of Measurement Conclusion Main Points Key Terms SPSS

Statistics Commands Introduced in This Chapter Review Questions SPSS Statistics Lab Exercise 14.1 Chapter 15: Tests of Significance Statistical Significance Significance Tests: Part of the Larger Body of Inferential Statistics Statistical Significance Versus Measures of Association Chi-Square (c2) Demonstration 15.1: Instructing SPSS Statistics to Calculate Chi-Square Significance and Association Demonstration 15.2: Instructing SPSS Statistics to Run Independent-Samples t Test Demonstration 15.3: t Test-EDUC by SEX Analysis of Variance Demonstration 15.4: Instructing SPSS Statistics to Run ANOVA A Statistical Toolbox: A Summary Conclusion Main Points Key Terms SPSS Statistics Commands Introduced in This Chapter Review Questions SPSS Statistics Lab Exercise 15.1 Chapter 16: Suggestions for Further Bivariate Analyses Demonstration 16.1: Desired Family Size Demonstration 16.2: Investigating Sexual Permissiveness Further Additional Resources Conclusion Main Points Key Terms SPSS Statistics Commands Introduced in This Chapter Review Questions SPSS Statistics Lab Exercise 16.1 Part IV: Multivariate Analysis Chapter 17: Multiple Causation: Examining Religiosity in Greater Depth Multiple Causation Demonstration 17.1: The Impact of Age and Sex on Religiosity Demonstration 17.2: Family Status and Religiosity Demonstration 17.3: Family Status and Religiosity, Controlling for Age Demonstration 17.4: Social Class and Religiosity Other Variables to Explore Chi-Square and Measures of Association Recoding SEX to Create a Dummy Variable: MALE Recoding RACE to Create a Dummy Variable: WHITE Multiple Regression Conclusion Main Points Key Terms SPSS Statistics Commands Introduced in This Chapter Review Questions SPSS Statistics Lab Exercise 17.1 Chapter 18: Dissecting the Political Factor Political Philosophy and Party Identification Demonstration 18.1: Controlling for Education Demonstration 18.2: The Mystery of Politics and Marital Status Conclusion Main Points Key Terms SPSS Statistics Command