Introduction
Sometimes, one may start a project with aggregated data, weighted by a frequency variable. In some cases, though, disaggregating such data (creating n rows for a row with frequency n) may be desired.
SPSS Syntax Example
*1. Create test data.
data list free/gender employed frequency.
begin data
0 0 5 1 0 2 0 1 8 1 1 5
end data.
value labels gender 0 'Female' 1 'Male' / employed 0 'Unemployed' 1 'Employed'.
*2. Write disaggregated data file.
loop # = 1 to frequency.
xsave outfile = 'd:/temp/disaggregated.sav' / drop frequency.
end loop.
*3. Open disaggregated data file.
get file = 'd:/temp/disaggregated.sav'.
data list free/gender employed frequency.
begin data
0 0 5 1 0 2 0 1 8 1 1 5
end data.
value labels gender 0 'Female' 1 'Male' / employed 0 'Unemployed' 1 'Employed'.
*2. Write disaggregated data file.
loop # = 1 to frequency.
xsave outfile = 'd:/temp/disaggregated.sav' / drop frequency.
end loop.
*3. Open disaggregated data file.
get file = 'd:/temp/disaggregated.sav'.
Notes
- This syntax will only work if the frequency variable contains only integers. Consider the RND function for rounding frequencies if necessary.
- The basic trick here is that
XSAVEis - technically speaking - a transformation. This is why it can be used withinLOOP.
SPSS AGGREGATE Command
SPSS Date Variables Basics
This tutorial has 2 comments
By Tormod Digre on September 15th, 2017
Thanks!
Great syntax that I'll use forever and ever. :)
By Valeria Butler on March 17th, 2017
Thank you, this worked. Please delete my earlier comment--meant to post that elsewhere!