SPSS Statistics Workbook For Dummies

Chapter 7

Testing Relationships with the Chi-Square Test of Independence

IN THIS CHAPTER

Assessing relationships with the chi-square test of independence

Comparing column proportions

Viewing clustered bar charts

Cross tabulations display the joint distribution of two or more categorical variables, which allows researchers to focus on both descriptive and causal relationships between the variables. When you examine a table with categorical variables, you want to know whether an observed relationship is likely to exist in the target population or is due to random sampling variation. To determine whether a relationship between two or more variables is statistically significant in a cross tabulation, you use statistical tests. Otherwise, you might make decisions based on observed category percentage differences that are not likely to exist in a population.

Cross tabulations are commonly used to explore how demographic characteristics are related to attitudes and behaviors. They are used also to see how one attitude is related to another. For example, you might want to know whether

• Satisfaction with an instructor in a training workshop was related to satisfaction with the course material ...