Statistics Software PASW

I'm beginning to get familiar with the statistics software called PASW (aka SPSS) preparing myself for dissertation research. Does anyone have experience with this software? If so, what are your thoughts?

 

what kind of post is that ?
a pop up ad after each and every word ?

edit

ha !
just noticed its in every post of every thread
even my reply LoL !

 

I have used it a lot and it is pretty good. Once you understand what you are doing, it is a snap. To calculate Power, I recommend G-Power - it is free.

 

I used SPSS (PASW) for my dissertation. It's pretty straightforward. The only item to watch out for is if you have a "student" version, there is most likely a time limit. I think my copy was only good for 1 year.

I second the G power recommendation. I used that in an Advanced Stat class.

 

SPSS is very easy, very intuitive. Compared to some of the others it is almost fun to use. On the downside it is somewhat limited in capability.

 

Does anyone know of any basic software I can use to create a graph that shows the probability distributions for three companys? I need to compare what the graph would look like entering the Mean and Std. Dev for each one. I tried to read the explaination for excel, but it wants me to enter for only one graph and you have to enter the x,y data. Trying to find something that I can just enter the info below.

Company A Mean 17.4 Std. Dev 20%
Company B Mean 13.8 Std. Dev 18.80%
Company C Mean 8 Std. Dev 0%

I'm taking a finance class and we have to create graphs. When I took statistics, it was all done by hand.

 

Use the NORMDIST function of Excel. Here is an easy to use guide to plotting a binomial curve using mean and std dev
Normal curve
Be careful to copy and adjust the formulae shown for your example.

In your data above I assume the std dev for company A is 3.48 (20% of the mean)

 

SPSS figures all of that in a heartbeat, but it is quite expensive. Great software though.

 

Joel66,
I sent you a PM

 

$120 for a 12 month license. (You want the GradPack that includes Advanced Statistics.) You can download a 30 day free trial too.

Little pricey, but if it results in a completed dissertation, WORTH IT!

 

I agree. I'm working with it now and it is powerful. I don't think I could do this without it.

 

Graph using Excel

 

Thank you, this helps on doing one graph for standard deviation. Do you know how to do the one for Security Market Line?

 

This exactly what I'm looking for on the three probability distributions on one graph.

I spoke with the instructor and he mentions that Excel is the main software I need to get more proficient if taking more advanced finance courses. I noticed Lynda.com has some excel software that I need to review. I also need to work on showing a Security Market Line graph.

 

Excel is suprisingly powerful in what you can do with it, if you know the ins and outs... That being said, it can be a little unwieldy at times, and frustrating as all get out if there's just a little glitch in your formulas.

I've got about 4 different books in PDF format for Excel on data analysis and reports and such that I carry around on both my android and my iPhone for easy access to refer to when I need it (if I'm not sitting at my main computers - either home or work).

 

SPSS is user friendly and acceptable for non-complex analysis but it is a lightweight compared to Stata, SAS or Mathematica. Most of these programs are available for rental from a number of vendors at fairly reasonable rates, so you do not have to buy them.

 

Very true - my last big employer paid top dollar to anyone who was really proficient at Excel.

Very true.

 

I wouldn't agree that SPSS is lightweight. It can do almost anything in a heartbeat. But if those other programs can be gotten more cheaply, then that would be the way to go. They are certainly every bit as good as SPSS, at the very least.

Of course, you may be way ahead of me in statistics, so you may know of issues that are beyond my understanding. I'll never be a statistician, I just need it to get me though the data analysis with the least amount of pain. SPSS is great for someone like me.