Descriptive statistics/Summary statistics

Focus/primary variable Comparison variables Example research Type of test

question
Average of a continuous None What is the mean Descriptive statistics using
variable weight? descriptives function in
SPSS
Average of a continuous Categorical What is the mean Descriptive statistics using
variable by group weight of males Explore function in SPSS
compared to females?
Frequency of categorical None What percent of the Descriptive statistics using
variable participants are frequency function in SPSS
females?
Frequency of categorical Categorical variable What percent of Descriptive statistics using
variable participants are cross-tab function in SPSS
females and have
asthma?
Inferential statistics (hypothesis testing)
Focus/primary variable Comparison variables Example research Type of test
question
Continuous Continuous What is the Correlation, using
relationship between correlation bivariate
age (years) and BMI function in SPSS.
(kg/m2)
Categorical Categorical What is the Chi-square, using the
relationship between cross-tab function in SPSS.
sex (male/female) and
asthma status
(yes/no)?
Continuous Number/constant Is mean age less than One sample t test using
100 years? compare means  one-
sample t test function in
SPSS
Continuous Dichotomous Is mean age different Two sample t test using
by sex (male/female)? compare means 
independent-samples t test
function in SPSS
Continuous Nominal/Ordinal Is mean age different ANOVA using compare
by race/ethnicity means  one-way
ANOVA function in SPSS
Continuous/Before Continuous/After Is mean weight Paired t test using compare
different before and means  paired-samples t
after gym? test function in SPSS
Dichotomous/Before Dichotomous/After Is the frequency of McNemar test using
true/false answers crosstab function in SPSS
different before and
after class?
Nominal or Ordinal/Before Nominal or Ordinal/After Is the frequency of McNemar-Bowker’s test
strongly agree to using crosstab function in
strongly disagree SPSS
answers different
before and after class?