Lately, SPSS has been getting easier to navigate and understand. I’ve always struggled with conceptualizing what my actions in changing and manipulating variables produces, which is one reason why I think I tend to do more poorly in math related subjects.
Right now, one of the larger issues I’ve been struggling with has been making sure I put the correct independent/dependent variable in the correct category (such as variable or category axis) when creating charts. I have a good grasp on the differences between dependent and independent variables, and confident in my ability to identify them in a reading. However, once I try to apply that skill to SPSS, I find the setup to be a tad confusing, and I have to really concentrate to make sure I’m putting the right things in their proper boxes. I think that with some practice I’ll be better able to handle the work, but at the moment it’s a challenge.
In Chapter 4, one moment of clarity I had was in spotting the graphical difference between an Interaction and Additive relationships. I see that additive relationships tend to mirror each other in slope, whereas an interaction relationship will show lines that clearly are altered by other stimuli. These changes in direction seem to indicate that there is another variable affecting the data in a study.
The worksheets are going as well as can be expected, although I certainly take my time to complete them. It can be hard to know if you’re generating the right answers or are even on the right track with them, but I’ve found that walking myself through the steps to really make sure I understand them helps me keep things straight.
One thing that I really appreciate with the work is that it’s very nature is application. Usually you don’t get to see or participate in the gathering of data for the papers we study. We may study the theory behind why things are the way they are, but we never see how we gather the information from which we draw our conclusions. In that light, I find it very satisfying to learn how to crunch the numbers to find very specific answers to questions I never knew I had! I think figuring out how to ask such questions is also a skill to learn in and of itself. I just need to get a decent hang of SPSS first!