SPSS data entry, and which is the best test to use?

Question

Hi all,

I'm studying moral development (SRMS SCORE) and play opportunities (TIME SCORE) and the differences between urban and rural areas.

My variables are as follows: age, gender, region, SRMS moral dev score, and time playing with social interaction, time for play without social interaction.

I have the data for each participant (n=292) entered in SPSS, except for the time variables... these I only have the average for the 2 regions; urban and rural.

I was thinking that I might run a t test? or would ANOVA be better?

I don't know how to enter the data for 'time' variables as I only have the average for each region, and not individual like all my other variables... can anyone advise me on how to rectify this or work with this?

I really appreciate any help that you can give... I'm at my wits end!!

Thank you

Answer 1

If you have a database that was able to calculate the average time for the two variables by rural and urban locations, then what do you need to enter?

If you do not have individual entries (for time playing with and without social interaction) for each individual in your database, where did you get these figures?

You need to collect that data if you don't already have it, because your results will have no statistical significance otherwise.  SPSS will assign it some significance if you entered the average values in each record in your database, but the results would be less meaningful than having the individual data.

The most important thing to remember in conducting your analysis is that if your data is flawed, so are your results.  I presume that you are using Multiple Regression Analysis, right?

Maybe I'm not understanding your question.

MRA is multiple regression analysis.

OK, if you have a space for the variables, "time playing with social interaction, time for play without social interaction",  then you need to enter the data.  

If you have 292 records, it shouldn't take that long to enter the hours if you are adept at using the numeric keypad.  

If you don't have fields for that data, you need to create them.

I think that is the only way you're going to get this to work right.