SPSS Assignment

Instructions:

Open the file entitled Rikers1989.sav located in the Data Files tab in Blackboard. This file describes the 1,038 individuals who were arrested in 1989 and were subsequently sent to Rikers Island. It allows researchers to examine the influence of inmates demographic and criminal history backgrounds on details of their current offenses. Please use this file and SPSS or PSPP to complete the following assignment. For each question in this assignment, select, create, and paste the appropriate descriptive data visual based on the question and variable level of measurement (i.e., frequency table, histogram, scatter-plot, crosstab table, bar graph, or pie chart), then use it to answer the question. Recall that there are step-by-step SPSS instructions available in the "SPSS/PSPP Instructions" folder of Blackboard.

Assignment Questions:

1. What proportion of inmates in this sample has 5 or fewer prior arrests (SPSS variable name: priors)?

a. Paste the appropriate SPSS data visual:

b. Answer the question:

2. Describe the distribution of prior arrests in this dataset (SPSS variable name: priors):

a. Paste the appropriate SPSS data visual:

b. Answer the question:

Hint: Recall that we tell 4 things about a distribution from this particular type of data visual; see Frequencies & Histograms Lecture Slides for further details

3. According to the US Census, the United States population is 0.77 White, 0.13 Black, 0.18 Hispanic, and 0.06 Asian. Which races are overrepresented on Rikers Island (SPSS variable name: ethn)?

Note: For this question, consider HISP-OTHER, HISP-BLACK, & HISP-WHITE to all fit in the overarching category of Hispanic, not Black or White

a. Paste the appropriate SPSS data visual:

b. Answer the question:

4. Were more participants in this sample married, divorced, or single prior to their incarceration (SPSS variable name: soc)?

a. Paste the appropriate SPSS data visual:

b. Answer the question:

5. Does there appear to be a positive, negative, or no relationship between a participant's age and his/her number of prior felonies, and why (SPSS variable names: age&pfel)?

a. Paste the appropriate SPSS data visual:

b. Answer the question:

6. What percent of male participants were unemployed prior to their incarceration (SPSS variable names: sex&empl)?

a. Paste the appropriate SPSS data visual here:

b. Answer the question:

BONUS: If you were to use the results from this dataset to draw conclusions about all U.S. inmates in 1989: A) What type of statistics would you use, and B) Would this be a representative sample, why or why not?

Attachment:- Assignment File.rar