Greetings:

I am struggling to figure out how I can take multiple variables that are dichotomous and combine them into a single likert scale variable. It seems like this should be an easy thing to do but as far as I can't tell the SPSS syntax does not allow for Boolean logic and the use of multiple variables to create a new variable. I do not wish to use the multiple response sets because inevitably someone who uses the dataset will not remember to redo the set every time they open the file and they will get stuck till they remember or ask me.

My dichotomous responses are from an import from access where response options a, b, c, d are scored as 0/1, 0/1, etc. So the four imported variable should really be just one. At this present time the only option I can come up with is to recoded the imported values such that if b =1 then recode to 2 and if c =1 then recode into 3 etc. I could then sum the four variables giving me the correct value. I would of course have to figure out the code for this but I don't think that will be too hard (I hope).

The issue then becomes how do I drop the unneeded variables (that are now combined) and order the variables so that the new variable is not stuck at the end of the var list because that is not really where they expect to see it. If anyone can help me with the code that would be most appreciated or if you could just point me to the right command or where in the syntax ref guide too look I would appreciate that as well. I have tried to figure out the dro command but I can't even figure out which command the option is to be run under.

Edgar I Sanchez, Ph.D.

ESanchez@apqc.org

http://www.apqceducation.org/

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