Adriana

try running frequencies with your variable (long printout as there is no longer /format condense) then choose your cutting points according to where you think they are in the cumulative frequencies column. Viewer panel is free and no trees are felled!

syntax format:

recode oldvar (<range 1> = value1)(<range 2> = value2)(<range 3> = value3) etc etc into newvar eg ( replace ? with your cutting points)

so you need to run something like:

freq testscore .

check the cumulative % column in your table and decide on your cutting points, then;

recode testscore (0 thru ? = 1)(? thru ? =2)(? thru ? = 3) etc etc (else = sysmis) into testscoregrp. freq testscoregrp.

Crude for perfectionists, but it works and saves your (and your funders') time and finger-nails.

If you don't understand syntax, let me know and I'll send you a worked example. It takes forever with the menus. It's the only use I can find for the otherwise pointless default output column Cumulative Percent (which has been there since the year dot, ie 1972 when I first used SPSS)

John Hall

----- Original Message ----- From: FernandezLanier, Adriana (DCJS) To: SPSSX-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU Sent: Wednesday, May 12, 2010 8:42 PM Subject: computing new variable based on percentiles

Good afternoon. I hope my question makes sense. I was told that there is a function in SPSS that will compute a new variable based on designated percentiles (e.g., 25th, 75th). For example, I have a variable called "test score" and I want to collapse/recode it into a variable that reflects low, medium, and high (based on percentiles). I have searched but have not come across any SPSS function that will compute a new variable. Any thoughts? Thanks

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