Anders writes: > I hope someone can help me. I have two continuous variables > and I want to find out if they correlate with each other. How do I > do that? It's data for an entiure population, not a sample.
Draw a graph. Select GRAPH | SCATTERPLOT from the SPSS menu. They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and I say that a graph is worth a thousand statistics. Display the graph prominently with anyone who is interested in your work. Some people will tell you "But you also need to compute [insert name of random statistic here]." If they are in a position of authority over you, say "yes, sir" or "yes, ma'am" and run their statistic. If they are not in a position of authority, thank them for their suggestion and explain that you think the graph is far more informative than any statistic. Because it is. That's a bit of an overgeneralization, perhaps, but not by much. Usually the graph will tell you what statistics, if any, you need to compute in addition to the graph. Steve Simon, [EMAIL PROTECTED], Standard Disclaimer. The STATS web page has moved to http://www.childrens-mercy.org/stats. . . ================================================================= Instructions for joining and leaving this list, remarks about the problem of INAPPROPRIATE MESSAGES, and archives are available at: . http://jse.stat.ncsu.edu/ . =================================================================
