Please use SPSS to conduct the following analyses and interpret them as requested. Your answers can be written into this document. You must also cut and paste all SPSS output you use as the basis for your answer. Please note that the data analysis portion of your exam will be similar to this, however, it will also include short answer questions based on concepts and themes from earlier in the course. Please upload your assignment to the dropbox in D2L no later than Wednesday, October 31st at 11:59PM
1) Using the NES 2008 data set, analyze the measures of central tendency for the following two variables: Feeling Thermometer towards Big Business and the Feeling Thermometer towards Congress. In your interpretation of these variables, include an analysis of the mean and median, the standard deviation and the distribution of the data (Hint: obtain a histogram from SPSS). Based on recent events, would you expect the same results today? Why or Why not?
Statistics
Feeling thermometer: BIG BUSINESS
Feeling thermometer: CONGRESS
N
Valid
2082
2078
Missing
241
245
Mean
53.19
51.99
Median
50.00
50.00
Std. Deviation
21.876
20.798
The same results would not be expected today. Many changes have occurred and both the big business and the congress. That means the feeling thermometer would indicate otherwise. The current congress has lost public trust and therefore, they tend to shift towards the colder side of the feeling thermometer. In terms of big businesses, many people are currently doing trade. This idea of multinational corporations entering into contracts with government has increased the feeling thermometer, thus it may read towards a higher side.
2) To answer the question, “Are people who get contacted by political parties or other groups more likely to vote?”, construct a cross-tab again using the NES 2008 data with “Was R contacted by parties/others” as the independent variable (row variable), and “Did R Vote in 2004” as the dependent variable (column variable). Interpret the results. Are they statistically significant?
Was R contacted by parties / others? * Did R vote in 2004? Crosstabulation
Count
Did R vote in 2004?
Total
No
Yes
Was R contacted by parties / others?
No
570
700
1270
Yes
182
836
1018
Total
752
1536
2288
Chi-Square Tests
Value
df
Asymptotic Significance (2-sided)
Exact Sig. (2-sided)
Exact Sig. (1-sided)
Pearson Chi-Square
186.743a
1
.000
Continuity Correctionb
185.521
1
.000
Likelihood Ratio
194.428
1
.000
Fisher's Exact Test
.000
.000
Linear-by-Linear Association
186.662
1
.000
N of Valid Cases
2288
a. 0 cells (0.0%) have expected count less than 5. The minimum expected count is 334.59.
b. Computed only for a 2x2 table
The chi square is statistically significant since the asymptotic significance is less than α=0.05. This means that there is a relationship between getting contacted by a party and actually going to vote. In other words the two variables are dependent.
