GROUPS Subcommand (MULT RESPONSE command)

GROUPS defines both multiple-dichotomy and multiple-response groups.

  • Specify a name for the group and an optional label, followed by a list of the component variables and the value or values to be used in the tabulation.
  • Enclose the variable list in parentheses and enclose the values in an inner set of parentheses following the last variable in the list.
  • The label for the group is optional and can be up to 40 characters in length, including imbedded blanks. Quotes around the label are not required.
  • To define a multiple-dichotomy group, specify only one tabulating value (the value that represents yes) following the variable list. Each component variable becomes a value of the group variable, and the number of cases that have the tabulating value becomes the frequency. If there are no cases with the tabulating value for a given component variable, that variable does not appear in the tabulation.
  • To define a multiple-response group, specify two values following the variable list. These are the minimum and maximum values of the component variables. The group variable will have the same range of values. The frequency for each value is tabulated across all component variables in the list.
  • You can use any valid variable name for the group except the name of an existing variable specified on the same MULT RESPONSE command. However, you can reuse a group name on another MULT RESPONSE command.
  • The group names and labels exist only during MULT RESPONSE and disappear once MULT RESPONSE has been executed. If group names are referred to in other procedures, an error results.
  • For a multiple-dichotomy group, the category labels come from the variable labels defined for the component variables.
  • For a multiple-response group, the category labels come from the value labels for the first component variable in the group. If categories are missing for the first variable but are present for other variables in the group, you must define value labels for the missing categories. (You can use the ADD VALUE LABELS command to define extra value labels.)

Example

MULT RESPONSE  GROUPS=MAGS 'MAGAZINES READ' (TIME TO STONE (2)) 
   /FREQUENCIES=MAGS.
  • The GROUPS subcommand creates a multiple-dichotomy group named MAGS. The variables between and including TIME and STONE become categories of MAGS, and the frequencies are cases with the value 2 (indicating yes, read the magazine) for the component variables.
  • The group label is MAGAZINES READ.

Example

MULT RESPONSE  GROUPS=PROBS 'PERCEIVED NATIONAL PROBLEMS' 
   (PROB1 TO PROB3 (1,9)) 
   /FREQUENCIES=PROBS.
  • The GROUPS subcommand creates the multiple-response group PROBS. The component variables are the existing variables between and including PROB1 and PROB3, and the frequencies are tabulated for the values 1 through 9.
  • The frequency for a given value is the number of cases that have that value in any of the variables PROB1 to PROB3.