First, create or open a SPSS data file. To perform descriptive statistics on the data, follow the instructions:

1. Under the Analyze menu, select "Descriptives" and then "Frequencies."
2. Select the variables to analyze and click the arrow button to move them to the right-side "Variables" list.
3. Click "Statistics" and select the statistics you need to answer your questions.
4. Optional: Click "Charts" and then "Histogram (with Normal Curve)" to get a feel for whether the data are normally distributed.
5. Optional: To save a lot of space in your output, turn off "Display Frequency Tables" by clicking the box beside it.
6. Click "Ok."

The results of the descriptive statistics appear in an output window. Print the result file by selecting "Print" from the "File" menu. Also, save the result file on the a: drive.  To save the file so that

• only SPSS can read it, select "Save" from "File" menu. Name your file.
• any word processor can read it (e.g., Word, Notepad), select "Export" from the "File" menu. In the window that opens, change the file type from "html" to "txt," and then name your file. 

The following sample shows SPSS output for descriptive statistics:

25 Aug 94 SPSS for MS WINDOWS Release 6.0 Page 1
This software is functional through June 30, 1995.
Number of valid observations (listwise) = 50.00

Variable ONE
Mean         508.460      Std Dev    52.229
Variance     2727.845     Kurtosis   -1.054
S.E. Kurt    .662         Skewness     .154
S.E. Skew    .337         Range      180.000
Minimum      420.00       Maximum    600.00

Valid observations - 50