Data entry errors are not the only reason for wanting to recode data. The sample file hotel.sav comprises data gathered from a customer satisfaction survey of clients at a particular hotel. The following commands load the file and display its variables and associated data:
PSPP> get file='//share/pspp/examples/hotel.sav'. PSPP> display dictionary.
It yields the following output:
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The output shows that all of the variables v1 through v5 are measured on a 5 point Likert scale,
with 1 meaning “Strongly disagree” and 5 meaning “Strongly agree”.
However, some of the questions are positively worded (v1, v2, v4) and others are negatively worded (v3, v5).
To perform meaningful analysis, we need to recode the variables so
that they all measure in the same direction.
We could use the RECODE command, with syntax such as:
recode v3 (1 = 5) (2 = 4) (4 = 2) (5 = 1).
However an easier and more elegant way uses the COMPUTE
command (see COMPUTE).
Since the variables are Likert variables in the range (1 … 5),
subtracting their value from 6 has the effect of inverting them:
compute var = 6 - var.
The following section uses this technique to recode the variables
v3 and v5.
After applying COMPUTE for both variables,
all subsequent commands will use the inverted values.