CHAPTER 23

MORE GRAPHING WITH SPSSWIN

Thus far, you have been introduced to bar and pie charts using the FREQUENCIES procedure (Chapter
12). Under the Graphs pulldown menu, you can see that there are numerous types of graphs that can be
created. Clicking on Graphs Gallery, shows the full array of charts that can be created using SPSS
Version 9.0.
SPSSWIN includes an Interactive Graphics feature (Graphs Gallery Interactive). This feature allows
you to specify the variables and many chart options before a chart is created. After you have created the
chart, you can modify it. The Interactive Graphics feature is dynamic: Unlike standard SPSS charts,
interactive charts allow you to change the variables used in the graph, update the chart "on the fly",
change summary functions after the chart is created, insert additional chart elements, move variables
between axes, go from 2-D to 3-D, etc. In general, SPSSWIN Interactive graphs offer many customization
features unavailable through the standard graphing package available in SPSSWIN. In addition, right
mouse button help is available for many aspects of the chart. Further, editing of the chart is done in the
same window (in standard charts, editing is done in a separate Chart Editor window).
Before you can begin using the Interactive Graphics feature you must have data in the Data Editor. Here
is a chart created using the standard bar graph procedure under (Graphs Bar). Some editing of the
chart was done (placing values in each bar and adding a pattern to the bars).

Mass Media Responsible for Violence

in American Society
Q1 -- 1998 Student Survey
50

43

40

30
30
20

Percent

19
10
0

6
Strongly Agree

Unsure
Agree

Strongly Disagree
Disagree

To create this chart using the Interactive Graphing feature, do the following:
1.

Click on: Graphs Gallery Interactive Bar

2.

Under the "Assign Variables" tab you see the "Source List" the variables available for graphing.
The variables will be displayed with an icon for "categorical" or "scale" level of measurement.
Click on the variable of interest (V1) and drag it to the box below the one with "$count".

3.

The default is to base the bars on the "count" - number of cases. To change this to percents, drag
the "$count" to the top of the Source List. Replace it with the "$pct". This will now create bars for
the values of V1 based on the percentage of respondents who "Strongly Sgree", "Agree" etc.

4.

To add the percentages as labels for each bar: Click on the "Bars" tab and then click the "Value"
checkbox below "Bar Values."

5.

To add the title to the graph, click on the "Titles" tab. Under "Chart Title" type the title for the
chart. Under "Chart Subtitle" type the subtitle for the chart.

6.

Click on the Options tab to select the look of the bar graph. There are numerous choices. You
can try different looks. The graph below was done using the Classic look.

7.

To remove the key (Bars show percents), click on the Assign Variables tab and take the check
mark off the box for Display key.

8.

Click on OK to generate the graph. The graph appears below.

The above chart requires some editing. Embellishments available in the Interactive Chart feature can
also be applied.
1.

Double click on the graph (in the SPSS Output Viewer) so that editing can be done. You will
notice that, along the left and top margins, various editing icons are visible.

2.

To remove the redundant category axis title on the bottom of the graph: Place the mouse pointer
on the title ("Mass media responsible") and click on the right mouse button. Then click on
"Category Axis". Click on the "Title" tab. You will note that the "Display axis title" checkbox is
checked. Click on the checkbox to remove the check. Click on "Apply" and then click on "OK."

3.

The percentages can be moved to the top of the bars or outside the bars. Double click on one of
the bars. Under Bar Labels Location, choose where you want the percentages to appear. In
this example, they appear Outside End. Click on Apply and then on OK. The percentage for the
tallest bar (43%) was dragged to the side of the bar so it would not appear above the upper axis
line.

4.

To change the pattern (and/or color) inside the bars double click on one of the bars. This will bring
up the "Bars" dialog box. Under "Bar Fill" click on "Style" (the default is "solid"). Choose a fill style.
Click on "Apply" and then click on "OK."

5.

The width of the bars can also be adjusted. Double click on one of the bars. Then click on "Bar
Width" to adjust the width. In this example, the width was set to 67.

6.

To give the graph a "cleaner" look, you can dispense with the left axis labeling. Place the mouse
pointer on the axis label ("Percent") and click on the right mouse button. Then click on "Hide
axis."

7.

Lastly, to resize the graph (increase its size), right click anywhere in the background area of the
raph. The "Data Region" dialog box will appear. You can then increase the size (in this example
3.25). Notice that, with enlarging the graph slightly, the bar labels (Strongly Agree etc.) are now
on one horizontal line. The edited graph appears below.

8.

NOTE: There are other features of the graph that can be changed. For example, various graph
"looks" and fill patterns are available, as is 3-D appearance.

NOTE: If you print out the graph above, you will notice that the letters and numbers in the graph print
poorly. Sometimes they look like they were printed on a dot matrix printer. This is the biggest shortcoming
to SPSSs Interactive graphing. One way to circumvent this problem is to print the title/subtitle/caption in
Word instead of as part of the graph.

Graphing the distribution of two variables

An interactive bar graph can present the distribution of values for two variables. In the following graph the
percentage of responses across two variables (V1: Are media responsible for violence in society, and V2:
Trials for major crimes should be televised) are displayed as bars. For example, 19% of those who agree
that the media are responsible also disagree that trials for major crimes should be televised. The sum of
the percentages represented by the bars equals 100% in a crosstabulation of the two variables these
percentages are displayed as "total" percentages.

To create the above bar graph:

1.

In the Interactive Create Bar Chart Dialog box, under the "Assign Variables" tab, place "$pct" in
the first box, V1 (recoded to three values: Agreement, Unsure, and Disagreement) in the second
box. [These two "boxes" are joined by the line with arrows.] Under "Legend Variables" "Color"
place V10 (similarly recoded to three values). V10 must be defined as a categorical variable.
Choosing Color insures that levels of V10 will be indicated in the graph by different colors and
clearly labeled within a "legend."

2.

Click on the "Bars" tab. Under "Bar Labels" click on the "Value" checkbox.

3.

In the Assign Variables Dialog box click on the 3-D effect pushbutton.

4.

Click on the "Titles" tab. Enter the title and subtitle as they appear in the graph.

5.

Click on Options Chart Looks and choose Classic.

6.

Click on OK. The remaining touches to the graph are done through editing. Double-click on the
graph so editing can be done.

7.

A 3-D rotation adjustment box will appear. You can change the rotation the bottom knob would
be turned to "5" to match the above graph. Move the other knob to a setting of 353. [You can
also change the direction in which light appears to shine on the bars as well as the brightness of
the light.]

8.

To hide the left axis (the label "percent" and the various amounts 5%, 10% etc.), click on the
word percent with the right mouse button and click on "Hide axis."

9.

To remove the "Bars show percents" key, click on it with the right mouse button and click on "Hide
key."

10.

Move the values to outside end of the bars: Double click on the value in one of the bars. In the
"Bars" dialog box, under "Values" change the setting from "Inside base" to "Outside end." Then
click on Apply and OK.

11.

Increase the width of the bars to the maximum (to make reading the values easier): Double-click
on one of the bars and select "Bar Width." Move the sliders under "Cluster Width" all the way to
the right (100%). Then click on Apply and OK.

12.

Increase the font size for the values in each bar. Double click on a value. At the top of the
interactive graph editing area you will see boxes that display the font and font size. Change the
font from "8" to "10." Repeat for each value.

13.

Move the legend closer to the bars to insure the graph will fit in the portrait format. Change the
legend title to two shorter lines. Remove the border around the legend by clicking on the legend
and then click on frame and remove the check for Display Frame.

14.

The chart can be pasted into Word. Click outside the chart area to exit out of the chart editor.
Then click on the chart once. Follow this with EDIT COPY OBJECTS. You are then ready to
click on EDIT PASTE in Word

In general, you may find graphing with Excel easier and more flexible. Because of the limitations of
SPSSs Interactive Graphing (in particular, the lower print quality of the text), you may prefer to use Excel
or Powerpoint for graphing.