Problem
The welfare.sav dataset (available on the website) is a subsample of 1470 respondents from the 1986 General Social Survey, and includes six variables which measure various attitudes about welfare. The variable names for those variables are WELFAR1, WELFAR2, WELFAR3, WELFAR4, WELFAR5, and WELFAR6. You will explore both univariate descriptive analysis of those measures, as well as differences among the six. (Remember "valence" from lecture?)
Note: Use the original variables for the first five questions, and the recoded variables only for questions 6, 7, and 8.
Instructions
For all six variables, use a RECODE procedure to combine "strongly agree" and "agree" into one category, and "disagree" and "strongly disagree" into a second category.
Request frequency tables and histograms of the original variables and the newly created ones.
Answer the following questions on this sheet of paper (using the original variables for questions 1-5 and the new variables for question 6-8), and submit it at the beginning of lecture on the due date.
Task
A. What level of measurement do these six variables achieve?
B. For which of the six variables does the highest percentage of respondents strongly agree, & at what percentag?
C. Do similar values on the welfare variables (such as "Strongly Agree) indicate similar sentiments as far as the effects of welfare are concerned (such as "supports welfare")? Why or why not?
D. What is the appropriate measure of central tendency for these variables, and what is the central tendency of each? (Do not just provide a number. You must use the data to summarize the respondents in the sample.)
E. Given your answers to questions 3 and 4, do the respondents tend to support or oppose welfare? 6.For which measure is there the most agreement overall, and at what percentage?
F. For which measure is there the most agreement overall, and at what percentage?
G. For which measure is there the most disagreement overall, and at what percentage?
H. Looking only at those variables where more than 75% of the sample agrees or disagrees, now what can you say about whether the respondents tend to support or oppose welfare - if anything? Be careful to characterize their support or opposition, citing specific data (frequencies, percentages, and/or central tendencies.)