Chapter 4
How To Do Cross-Tabs
in Spss 10.0/11.0
In Chapter 3, we did an exercise to examine the Scatterplot of Population Density and
Juridictional Hierarchy (Figure 3.3). The red line in that plot show the average values on
the Y coordinate (Juridictional Hierarchy, scaled from 1 to 5) for each value of the X
coordinate (roughly, the log to base 5 of the population density). A cross tabulation (or
cross-tab for short) differs from a scatterplot in that the rows represent the values of one
variable (e.g., those of the Y variable in a scatterplot) and the columns represent the
values of second variable (e.g., those of the X variable in our scatterplot). The
information may be the same as in a scatterplot but here instead of a graph we have in
each cell of the table the number of cases that have a given pair of values on the two
variables.
In this chapter we cover getting variables from a spss file, asking for percentages, asking
for statistics, getting your table, exporting your table to Word or html for use in a
research paper, website or publication, and last, a better way to export your table to Word
or html.
Getting variables
Now, let us do a cross-tabulation for population density and this measure of political
complexity tested the hypothesis that increases in density are correlated with growth in
complexity.
To start:
1. IN MENU LINE CHOOSE:
ANALYZE → DESCRIPTIVE STATISTICS → CROSSTABS
Chapter 4
You will see the following window:
2
Cross-Tabs in Spss
2. MOVE RESPECTIVE VARIABLES TO "ROW" AND "COLUMN" BOXES.
Questions that might arise at this point is:
Or,
"If I see a list of variables by number how do I get this list of variables by name?
“How do I get a list of variables by number? "
Cancel the window above and click the Edit and then Options on the main Menu. The
General Tab for options will then open, as and under “Variables Lists” click the
“Display labels” button (or the “Display names” which is what we have above) and then
click the “OK” button.
3
Chapter 4
Now go back to crosstabs: from menu, ANALYZE → DESCRIPTIVE STATISTICS →
CROSSTABS. Then you might have
Another question that will arise at this point is:
"Which variable should be put in which box?"
4
Cross-Tabs in Spss
Recall that in formulating our hypothesis, we thought that population density might affect
the development of political complexity. There are good reasons for this expectation.
Population can grow within a given area due to the balance between birth rate and
immigration on the one hand and mortality and emigration on the other. When population
densifies, however, new forms of political integration are needed (Johnson 1982). When
we have this kind of idea about which variable is likely to be the predictor of the other,
which is often a matter of temporal ordering and at other times a matter of logical
priority, we call the predictor the independent variable and the dependent variable the one
that is predicted. Here we will use the terminology for distinguishing independent and
dependent variables. Sometimes, however, we are simply interested in the relationship
without a notion of causal or temporal or logical order. Some statistical correlations,
however, will still distinguish between independent and dependent variable on the basis
of which is used in a formal sense to make the prediction. This will be treated under the
idea of mathematical function in Chapte 5, where the function takes the predictor and
returns the prediction, and that is the only difference between the independent and
dependent variables.
Our question about which variable to assign to the rows of a cross tabulation and which
to the colums will have different answers depending on the following:
2a. If both variables have the same number of values,
PUT INDEPENDENT VARIABLE IN THE "ROW" BOX;
PUT DEPENDENT VARIABLE IN THE "COLUMN" BOX.
2b. If one variable has more values than the other,
PUT THIS VARIABLE (THE ONE WITH MORE VALUES) IN THE "ROW" BOX;
PUT THE OTHER VARIABLE (THE ONE WITH LESS VALUES) IN THE "COLUMN"
BOX
The reason for this rule is as follows: if we put the variable with many values in columns,
the table will become too wide and it will be difficult (or impossible) to fit it in a standard
page (in fact, we shall encounter this problem once below). In general, as the standard
orientation of paper is "portrait" (), rather than "landscape" (), it is always more
convenient to deal with tables that are long, but narrow,
rather than short, but wide
We are going now to cross-tabulate the following variables:
5
Chapter 4
V64. POPULATION DENSITY
and
V237. JURISDICTIONAL HIERARCHY
BEYOND LOCAL COMMUNITY
V64 ("POPULATION DENSITY") has the following values:
1 = < 1 person per 5 sq. mile
2 = 1 person per 1–5 sq. mile
3 = 1–5 persons per sq. mile
4 = 6–25 persons per sq. mile
5 = 26–100 persons per sq. mile
6 = 101–500 persons per sq. mile
7 = over 500 persons per sq. mile
V237 ("JURISDICTIONAL HIERARCHY BEYOND LOCAL COMMUNITY" ≈
"POLITICAL COMPLEXITY INDEX") has the following values:
1 = No levels (no political authority beyond community)
2 = One level (e.g., petty chiefdoms)
3 = Two levels (e.g., larger chiefdoms)
4 = Three levels (e.g., states)
5 = Four levels (e.g., large states)
Thus, "Population density" variable has 7 values, whereas the "Political complexity" one
has only 5. In addition to this, "Population density" is more likely to be regarded as the
independent variable. Hence, in the present situation we have all the grounds to
PUT V64 ("POPULATION DENSITY") IN ROWS, and
PUT V237 ("JURISDICTIONAL HIERARCHY BEYOND LOCAL COMMUNITY") IN
COLUMNS:
6
Cross-Tabs in Spss
But after you have done this, it is still too early to click the "OK" button. So, as your next
step:
3. CLICK THE "CELLS..." BUTTON.
Asking for percentages
You will see the following window:
7
Chapter 4
We advise you to always make crosstabs not only with observed counts, but also with
percentages. As we shall see below, crosstabs with percentages are immensely more
useful than the ones without them. To make a crosstab with percentages you should tick
the boxes in "Percentages" part of the submenu. You can tick both "Row,” and
"Column,” but the experience shows that in this case resultant tables are not "userfriendly.” So we advise you the following:
If the independent variable is in rows, tick the "Row" box;
if the independent variable is in columns, tick the "Column" box!
In our case the independent variable ("Population Density") is in rows. So, tick the
"Row" box. You will see the following window:
8
Cross-Tabs in Spss
Asking for statistics
After this click the "Continue" button. After this do not forget to order the statistical
analysis of the crosstab. To do this, click the "Statistics….” You will see the following
window:
9
Chapter 4
If you are a beginner in statistical analysis, we would advise you to tick the following
boxes:
Chi-square
Phi and Cramer's V
Correlations
Gamma
Kendall’s Tau-b
You will not necessarily need all the resultant additional tables to analyze statistically
each concrete crosstab, but what you will get will be quite sufficient to answer any
questions that could appear in the nearest future when you analyze crosstabs statistically.
Statistics are covered in the next chapter.
10
Cross-Tabs in Spss
Getting your table
Now, press "Continue,” then "OK,” and you will get the following table:
Population Density * Jurisdictional Hierarchy Beyond Local Community Crosstabulation
Population
Density
< 1 person / 5 sq. mile
1 person / 1-5 sq. mile
1-5 persons / sq. mile
6-25 persons / sq. mile
26-100 persons / sq. mile
101-500 persons / sq.
mile
over 500 persons / sq.
mile
Total
Count
% within
Population Density
Count
% within
Population Density
Count
% within
Population Density
Count
% within
Population Density
Count
% within
Population Density
Count
% within
Population Density
Count
% within
Population Density
Count
% within
Population Density
Jurisdictional Hierarchy Beyond Local Community
Fo
Three levels
Two levels
One level
No levels
1
6
29
2,8%
80,6%
16,7%
17
5
77,3%
22,7%
11
8
4
2
44,0%
32,0%
16,0%
8,0%
7
9
4
5
25,9%
33,3%
14,8%
18,5%
9
13
5
5
26,5%
38,2%
14,7%
14,7%
4
6
4
3
21,1%
31,6%
21,1%
15,8%
3
1
5
4
15,8%
5,3%
26,3%
21,1%
80
48
23
19
44,0%
26,4%
12,6%
10,4%
As you see, even though we put in columns the variable with a smaller number of values,
the resultant table does not fit a standard page. To a considerable extent this is explained
by the fact that even the most recent versions of SPSS produce crosstabs with an entirely
useless column ("Count vs. % within"). In order to make this crosstab easier to read, and
more prepared for publication we would advise you to delete it.
To do this double-click on the table, and block this column, e.g. pressing on any of its
cells with your mouse and using the combination of "Shift" and "" buttons. After that
using the mouse's left button make the column as narrow as possible:
11
Chapter 4
If you click on any point outside the table now, you will see that the column has
disappeared. We would also advise in this case to diminish the breadth of the second and
the last column. After this the table will look in the following way:
Table 2.1:
Population Density * Jurisdictional Hierarchy Beyond Local Community Crosstabulation
Population
Density
< 1 person / 5 sq.
mile
1 person / 1-5 sq.
mile
1-5 persons / sq.
mile
6-25 persons / sq.
mile
26-100 persons /
sq. mile
101-500 persons /
sq. mile
over 500 persons /
sq. mile
Total
12
Jurisdictional Hierarchy Beyond Local Community
No levels
One level
Two levels Three levels
Four levels
29
6
1
80,6%
17
16,7%
5
77,3%
22,7%
2,8%
Total
36
100%
22
100%
11
8
4
2
25
44,0%
32,0%
16,0%
8,0%
100%
7
25,9%
9
9
33,3%
13
4
14,8%
5
5
18,5%
5
2
7,4%
2
27
100%
34
26,5%
4
21,1%
38,2%
6
31,6%
14,7%
4
21,1%
14,7%
3
15,8%
5,9%
2
10,5%
100%
19
100%
3
1
5
4
6
19
15,8%
80
44,0%
5,3%
48
26,4%
26,3%
23
12,6%
21,1%
19
10,4%
31,6%
12
6,6%
100%
182
100%
Cross-Tabs in Spss
Exporting your table to Word
Now, the table could be read more or less easily. However, if you are going to publish it
(e.g., to use it in your essay, thesis, or article), we would still advise you to edit it. To edit
an SPSS table you should first double-click on it to get into the editing mode, and then to
double-click on that cell of the table which you would like to edit. For example, if you
double-click on the label of the dependent variable ("Jurisdictional Hierarchy Beyond
Local Community"), the table will look as follows:
We would suggest that the table which we have made should be edited in the following
way:
1. The dependent variable could be more appropriately titled "Political Centralization
Index = # of Political Integration Levels over Community.”
2. This variable labels should be re-named accordingly.
3. Numerical values of the variable should be added.1
1
If you are going to use the respective database and respective variable in future, we
would advise you to do corresponding changes in database itself. We would also advise
you to re-code V237 in the following way: 0 = No levels (no political authority beyond
13
Chapter 4
As a result, the final version of the table will look as follows (Table 2.2):
Table 2.2:
Population Density * Political Centralization
Political Centralization Index = # of Political Integration Levels over
Community
Population
Density
1 = < 1 person / 5
sq. mile
2 = 1 person / 1-5
sq. mile
3 = 1-5 persons /
sq. mile
4 = 6-25 persons /
sq. mile
5 = 26-100 persons
/ sq. mile
6 = 101-500
persons / sq. mile
7 = over 500
persons / sq. mile
Total
0 = No levels
(Independent
communities)
29
80,6%
17
1 = One
level (Simple
chiefdoms)
6
16,7%
5
77,3%
22,7%
2 = Two levels
(Complex
chiefdoms)
3 = Three
levels (Small
states)
4 = Four levels
(Large states /
empires)
1
2,8%
Total
36
100%
22
100%
11
8
4
2
25
44,0%
7
25,9%
9
32,0%
9
33,3%
13
16,0%
4
14,8%
5
8,0%
5
18,5%
5
2
7,4%
2
100%
27
100%
34
26,5%
4
21,1%
3
38,2%
6
31,6%
1
14,7%
4
21,1%
5
14,7%
3
15,8%
4
5,9%
2
10,5%
6
100%
19
100%
19
15,8%
80
44,0%
5,3%
48
26,4%
26,3%
23
12,6%
21,1%
19
10,4%
31,6%
12
6,6%
100%
182
100%
And a possible final step. Normally, your essay, thesis, or article will be in Word, or
other similar program. So, you may need to move the table from SPSS to Word.
However, if you just copy and paste it, you will get the following:
community); 1 = One level (e.g., petty chiefdoms); 2 = Two levels (e.g., larger
chiefdoms); 3 = Three levels (e.g., states); 5 = Four levels (e.g., large states).
14
Cross-Tabs in Spss
Population Density * Political Centralization
Political
Centralizat
ion Index
= # of
Political
Integration
Levels
over
Communit
y
0 = No 1 = One 2 = Two 3 = Three 4 = Four
levels
level
levels
levels
levels
(Independ (Simple (Complex
(Small
(Large
ent chiefdoms chiefdoms
states)
states /
communiti
)
)
empires)
es)
Population
1=<1
Count
29
6
1
Density person / 5
sq. mile
% within
80,6%
16,7%
2,8%
Population
Density
2=1
Count
17
5
person / 15 sq. mile
% within
77,3%
22,7%
Population
Density
3 = 1-5
Count
11
8
4
2
persons /
sq. mile
% within
44,0%
32,0%
16,0%
8,0%
Population
Density
4 = 6-25
Count
7
9
4
5
2
persons /
sq. mile
% within
25,9%
33,3%
14,8%
18,5%
7,4%
Population
Density
5 = 26Count
9
13
5
5
2
100
persons /
sq. mile
% within
26,5%
38,2%
14,7%
14,7%
5,9%
Population
Density
6 = 101Count
4
6
4
3
2
500
persons /
sq. mile
% within
21,1%
31,6%
21,1%
15,8%
10,5%
Population
Density
Total
36
100,0%
22
100,0%
25
100,0%
27
100,0%
34
100,0%
19
100,0%
15
Chapter 4
7 = over
500
persons /
sq. mile
Total
Count
3
1
5
4
6
19
% within
Population
Density
Count
% within
Population
Density
15,8%
5,3%
26,3%
21,1%
31,6%
100,0%
80
44,0%
48
26,4%
23
12,6%
19
10,4%
12
6,6%
182
100,0%
As you see, you will not get a real table, but rather a half-finished product.2 In order to
move to a Word document the whole table click on the table with the right-hand button,
and choose "Copy objects" (not just "Copy"!):
2
Note, however, that the SPSS is not 100% compatible with the Word yet, so the SPSS
objects sometimes "behave" in Word rather "capriciously"; hence, we advise you in
certain circumstances to consider this possibility – to prepare a normal Word table on the
basis of such half finished product, rather than to insert into a Word document an SPSS
object.
16
Cross-Tabs in Spss
Now you can paste it safely into a word document.
Finally, for an exercise make a cross-tab for reliance on agriculture and fixity of
settlement. If you follow the algorithm specified above correctly, the result should look
as follows:
A better way to export your table to Word or html
Finally, there is a way to import a cross-tab from SPSS to Word, which preserves all the
main features of the table and makes it possible to finish easily editing of a table in Word.
To follow this way just choose after clicking on an SPSS table with the right-hand button
"Export":
After this you will see the following:
17
Chapter 4
Just press "OK". By default the HTML file will be saved in the directory in which you
are working. After this find file Output.htm in your working directory and open it. You
will see the following:
18
Cross-Tabs in Spss
Now press "Control-A" to select the table, copy it and paste it in a Word document with
which you are working. If everything has been done correctly, the size of font and the
table can now be adjusted to fit the page, and the adjusted table should look as follows:
Agriculture-Contribution to Local Food Supply * Fixity of Settlement Cross tabulation
Fixity of Settlement
Migratory
Seminomadicfixed then
migratory
Rotating
among
2+ fixed
Semisedentaryfixed core, some
migratory
16
10
2
4
45,7%
28,6%
5,7%
Impermanentperiodically
moved
Permanent
Total
3
35
None
Non-Food
Crops
AgricultureContribution
to Local Food
Supply
11,4%
8,6% 100,0%
2
1
3
66,7%
33,3%
100,0%
9
6
1
1
17
52,9%
35,3%
5,9%
5,9%
100,0%
3
2
2
1
25,0%
16,7%
16,7%
8,3%
2
5
6
4,8%
11,9%
14,3%
1
1
1
8
< 10%
< 50% <
single
source
< 50% >
single
source
Primarily
agricultural
1,3%
1,3%
1,3%
10,4%
28
21
6
14
15
15,1%
11,3%
3,2%
7,5%
8,1%
4
12
33,3% 100,0%
29
42
69,0% 100,0%
66
77
85,7% 100,0%
102
186
Total
54,8% 100,0%
19
Chapter 4
Now you can easily finish the editing of the table any way you like using just standard
Word menu. Note that importing a cross-tab to Word this way you will spend much less
time and effort editing the table than when you just copy it directly from SPSS, which is
what you see in the following table.
Agriculture-Contri buti on to Local Food Supply * Fixi ty of Se ttlem ent Crossta bul ation
Agriculture-Con
tribution to
Local Food
Supply
None
Migra
tory
16
45.7%
Non-Food
Crops
< 10%
< 50% <
single source
9
52.9%
3
25.0%
Seminom
adic-fix ed
then
migratory
10
28.6%
2
Fix ity of Settlement
Semis ede
ntary-fixed
Rotating
core,
among
some
2+ fixed
migratory
2
4
5.7%
11.4%
1
66.7%
33.3%
100%
1
5.9%
2
16.7%
5
11.9%
1
1.3%
14
7.5%
17
100%
12
100%
42
100%
77
100%
186
100%
6
35.3%
2
16.7%
< 50% >
single source
Primarily
agricultural
Total
28
15.1%
1
1.3%
21
11.3%
1
5.9%
2
4.8%
1
1.3%
6
3.2%
Imper
manent
-periodi
cally
moved
1
8.3%
6
14.3%
8
10.4%
15
8.1%
However, though by now we know quite a lot about the relationship between the
variables of consideration, we have not tested the respective hypothesis statistically.
In the next chapter we shall try to explain to you how to do this.
20
Per
man
ent
3
8.6%
4
33%
29
69%
66
86%
102
55%
Total
35
100%
3