To:  sbaker@odu.edu

From:  Thomas Meyer
tmeyer@ph.vccs.edu
276 656-0283
Patrick Henry Community College

Subject:  Statistics - w/  Dr.Spencer Baker - Homework Assignment #3, Ch 4 - Problem 24, page113.

Date: February 29, 2004

Question:
Use the SPSS program and SPSS data (donate.sav) bank to complete the following:

a.    Find the range, standard deviation, variance, skewness, kurtosis, and quartiles for the following variables: perspective taking (perspect), fantasy (fantasy), empathic concern (empathy), personal distress (distress), and altruism (altruism).

Answer:

 

 

 

Question:
 

b.    Using the index of skewness and the index of kurtosis, describe the characteristics of the distribution of scores for each variable.

Answer:

 

  Interpretation of Kurtosis
 - A kurtosis of K = 0 is that assigned to a normal bell shaped distribution.
   - A negative number for K indicates  a flat or platykurtic distribution;
   - A positive number for K indicates a leptokurtic or highly peaked distribution.		                        
                     Interpretation of Skewness
    Pearson's index of skewness was computed on the seven scaled variables:

     -  will be positive for positively skewed distributions
        (having a long thin tail to the right)
     - will be negative for negatively skewed distributions
        (having a long thin tail to the left)
     -  Larger numbers indicate more severe skewness.


 
1

 
Skewness .303
 positively skewed distributions (having a long thin tail to the right)
Std. Err. of Skewness .221
Kurtosis -.524
 playtykurtic (flat)
Std. Err. of Kurtosis .438
2

 
Skewness -.235
 negatively skewed distributions (having a long thin tail to the left)
Std. Err. of Skewness .221
Kurtosis -.547
 playtykurtic (flat)
Std. Err. of Kurtosis .438
3

 
Skewness .187
 positively skewed distributions (having a long thin tail to the right)
Std. Err. of Skewness .221
Kurtosis -.942
 playtykurtic (flat)
Std. Err. of Kurtosis .438
4

 
Skewness .207
 positively skewed distributions (having a long thin tail to the right)
Std. Err. of Skewness .221
Kurtosis -.827
 playtykurtic (flat)
Std. Err. of Kurtosis .438
5

 
Skewness -.285
negatively skewed distributions (having a long thin tail to the left)
Std. Err. of Skewness .221
Kurtosis -.433
playtykurtic (flat)
Std. Err. of Kurtosis .438


 

 

 

filename: StatHW4Ch4Prob24page113TomMeyer.doc

Tom Meyer

Thomas Meyer