SPSS Exercises

[GSS10SSDS]

1. Let’s continue to examine the relationship between fertility decisions and education. But this time, we’ll analyze the relationship for men.

  1. Run a Select Cases, selecting only men for the analysis.
  2. Compute an ANOVA model for men, using age at first-born child (AGEKDBRN) as the dependent variable and educational degree (DEGREE) as the independent variable. Based on the SPSS output, what can you conclude about the relationship between degree attainment and AGEKDBRN for men? How do these results compare with the results for women in the SPSS demonstration?
  3. Compute a second ANOVA model for men, using number of children (CHILDS) as the dependent variable and educational degree (DEGREE) as the independent variable. Based on your results, what conclusions can you make about the relationship between the two variables?

2. Repeat Exercise 1b, substituting respondent’s social class (CLASS) as the independent variable in sepa­rate models for men and women. What can you conclude about the relationship between CLASS and AGEKDBRN?

3. We’ll continue our analysis of fertility decisions, examining responses to the question, What is the ide­al number of children a family should have (variable CHLDIDEL)? Use CHLDIDEL as your dependent variable and DEGREE as your independent variable. Is there a significant difference in the number of ideal children among different educational groups? (Option: You can run three sets of analyses—first, for all GSS respondents; second, an ANOVA model for women only; and finally, a model for men.)

4. Examine attitudes toward affirmative action based on two variables: AFFRMACT and DISCAFF. AFFR­MACT measures respondents’ support of preferential hiring and promotion of blacks (a higher score indi­cates opposition). For the variable DISCAFF, individuals reported how likely it is that a white person won’t get a job or promotion while an equally or less qualified black person gets one (a higher score indicates “not very likely”). Using AFFRMACT and DISCAFF as your dependent variables, determine whether there are significant differences in attitudes by social class (CLASS)? (You should have two ANOVA models, with CLASS as the independent variable in both models.)