Internet Activities

Chapter 2

Click on the following links - please note these will open in a new window

The following web exercise utilizes data from the World Values Survey (WVS). Begin by visiting the following URL: http://www.worldvaluessurvey.org/. Click on the Findings link to familiarize yourself with some of the major findings that have resulted from this effort in recent years.

For this exercise, we will use the WVS' online data analysis tool to construct frequency distributions. Begin by clicking on the link for Online Data Analysis under the Site Shortcuts heading. Click on the red Click here link at the bottom of your screen. This will bring you to Step -1, Online Data Analysis. Click on the red WVS 2005-2008 link. Select five countries of interest and then click Confirm selection. On the screen in front of you, there are several classes of variables (e.g., Perceptions of Life, Environment, Work, etc.). Under the Perceptions of Life heading, click on the Feeling of Happiness variable. You should now see a new window listing the actual survey question and possible answers. The tabs listed at the top will display different frequency distributions for your selected data. For example, by selecting the Cross-Tabs tab and choosing Show Counts, you will see only the raw frequencies. Take a few minutes to familiarize yourself with the various options under Cross-Tabs. Repeat this exercise at least one more time with different countries and variables.