Dataset: Reminiscence Survey
The data was collected in 2015 as part of a class project. The project was based on two studies conducted by
Bryant, Smart, and King (2005) suggesting that reminiscing about the past enhances the present.
SPSS datasets:
Dataset with no items recoded or scale scores computed: reminiscence 1.sav
Dataset with two data entry errors (for practice identifying such errors): remiscence with errors.sav
Dataset with recoded items and computed scales: reminiscence compiled dataset.sav
Overview of the Survey:
• The following measurement scales were included in the survey.
o Two subscales from the Savoring Beliefs Inventory (SBI; Bryant, 2003):
§ Savoring the Moment: Eight items with variable names moment1……moment8. In
the “reminiscence compiled dataset.sav” file the scale score is named sbimoment.
§ Anticipating the Future: Eight items with variable names anticipate1……anticipate8.
In the “reminiscence compiled dataset.sav” file the scale score is named
sbianticipate.
o The Satisfaction with Life scale (SWLS; Diener, Emmons, Larson, & Griffin, 1985): Five
items with variable names satisfaction1…satisfaction5. In the “reminiscence compiled
dataset.sav” file the scale score is named SWLS.
• There are nine reminiscence strategies created for this survey (variable names: thinking, talking,
visualize, music, printphoto, emailtext, shareonline, onlinephoto, onlinecomm). The items can be
analyzed separately, or combined into a total scale or subscales if reliability analyses indicate the
items with the scale or subscale are internally consistent.
• There is one question asking participants to indicate what they believe is the primary benefit of
reminiscing (variable name: benefit).
• Information about the participant includes age, gender, ethnicity, and if they were currently an
undergraduate student collegestudent.
The next page contains the actual survey questions and coding for the responses. Variable names are bolded.
Reminiscence Study CODESHEET
ID: unique ID number for each participant
Participants rated their agreement with each item below using the following scale:
1 = strongly
disagree
2 =
disagree
3 = slightly
disagree
4 = neither agree
or disagree
5 = slightly
agree
6 = agree 7 = strongly
agree
anticipate1: 1. I get pleasure from looking forward. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
satisfaction1: 2. In most ways, my life is close to ideal. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
moment1: 3. I don’t enjoy things as much as I should. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
anticipate2: 4. Anticipating is a waste of time. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
satisfaction2: 5. The conditions of my life are excellent. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
moment2: 6. I feel fully able to appreciate good things. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
anticipate3: 7. I can feel the joy of anticipation. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
anticipate4: 8. I can enjoy events before they occur. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
satisfaction3: 9. I am satisfied with my life. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
moment3: 10. I can’t seem to capture joy of happy moments. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
anticipate5: 11. I can feel good by imagining an outcome. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
moment4: 12. I know how to make the most of a good time. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
anticipate6: 13. I don’t like to look forward too much. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
moment5: 14. I find it hard to hang onto a good feeling. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
anticipate7: 15. It is hard for me to get excited beforehand. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
satisfaction4: 16. So far I have gotten the important things I want
in life.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
moment6: 17. I find it easy to enjoy myself when I want to. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
moment7: 18. I can prolong enjoyment by my own effort. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
moment8: 19. I am my own ‘worst enemy’ in enjoying. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
anticipate8: 20. I feel uncomfortable when anticipating a future
event.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
satisfaction5: 21. If I could live my life over, I would change
almost nothing.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Participants rated how much time they spent reminiscing using specific strategies, on a scale from 1–7.
1 = very little 7 = a great deal
thinking 1. Thinking about pleasant memories. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
talking 2. Talking with others about your memories. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
visualize 3. Mentally visualizing pleasant past events. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
music 4. Listening to music associated with pleasant
past events.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
printphoto 5. Looking at printed photos. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
emailtext 6. Reading past emails or text messages to
help recall pleasant memories.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
shareonline 7. Sharing photos online using Facebook,
Instagram, Snapchat, etc.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
onlinephoto 8. Looking at photos on Facebook,
Instagram, etc.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
onlinecomm 9. Looking back at comments you and
others wrote online (on Facebook, etc.)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
benefit: What do you see as the primary benefit you get from reminiscing about the past (circle ONE):
Gain perspective on present problems A diversion from present problems A way to improve my mood
Socialize with others I see little benefit in reminiscing Other:________________________
Participant information:
age: enter # gender: 1 = male, 2 = female, 3 = transgender
ethnicity: 1 = Caucasian or White, 2 = African American or Black, 3 = Hispanic or Latino/a, 4 = Asian, 5
= Biracial or Multiracial, 6 = Other
collegestudent: Are you a college student? 1 = yes, 2 = no
HOMEWORK: DESCRIPTIVE STATISTICS TEMPLATE
This assignment is worth a total of 60 points.
• Content: point values vary but are indicated in the template and total 45 points.
• Format: point values vary but are indicated in the template for 10 pts. The remaining 5 pts are for placing answers in the correctly designated spots within the template in a clear and easy to read format (e.g., all fit within the visible screen on the page); demonstrating competency in written expression/grammar, spelling, and punctuation; and uploading the template in an approved format (word or PDF). Thus, the maximum is 15 points for format.
Go to Sage Edge link located in the Homework: Descriptive Statistics Resources section.
Click on “Datasets” and download “Reminiscence Study”. Open the folder. Read the “Reminiscence description” (PDF or word – both are the same). Open the SPSS data file named “reminiscence with errors” in SPSS. This is real data from a study conducted as part of a class project. However, this file has errors added to the demographic data for the purpose of this practice exercise. You will be using this dataset to complete this assignment.
- Calculate the Cronbach’s alpha for each of the two subscales from the Savoring Beliefs Inventory (“Savoring the Moment” – note 1, 3, 5, and 8 are reverse scored, and “Anticipating the Future” – note 2, 6, 7, and 8 are reverse scored). How many items were in each subscale? Was each subscale internally reliable? Support this answer by reporting and interpreting both Cronbach’s alpha values. 3 pts each = (6 pts content / 1 pt format)
- Use SPSS to calculate frequencies for the variables named age, gender, and collegestudent. Look at the frequency tables in the output to identify the two errors (Hint: it is NOT how many are identified as “Missing”). For each error, identify
- variable name
- numerical error
- explain how you know it is an error
- Now, find that error in the data file and identify the Participant # identified with the error
(0.5 pts per item requested per error, so 0.5 x 4 x 2 = 4 pts content)
- Remove the two errors by deleting the individual errors (Note: do not delete entire rows – just delete the two cells with errors so that the other data from those participants remain).
Now, calculate the appropriate descriptive statistics for age, gender, and collegestudent, noting the appropriate type of descriptive statistics is based on their scale of measurement. *Scale of measurement may be incorrect in the SPSS file as it is your job to determine the correct scale based on the data provided. Copy / paste the SPSS output for the corrected tables (no graphs – just the SPSS tables) – one per variable.
(3 pts per corrected variable = 9 pts content) / 1 pt format
4. There are several ways to determine whether data is skewed as discussed in your textbook, with conservative or less stringent guidelines. Using SPSS output and a careful reading of this text, justify whether YOU feel age meets the criteria for being normally distributed for this particular dataset. Make sure you provide at least one numerical value to support your answer (e.g., skew statistic, standard error of the skew), noting all information must be presented using APA professional conventions.
(4 pts content / 1 pt format)
- Write a brief description of the age, gender, and college student distribution in the sample as you would in a Participants section of a research report. Be sure you only report the correct information (without errors) and use APA format.
(2 pts content per variable = 6 pts content; 2 pt format)
- What is the primary benefit people reported from reminiscing about the past? (Hint: Find the variable and its label in SPSS that corresponds to the question “What is the primary benefit people reported from reminiscing about the past?”. Use SPSS to calculate the appropriate statistics based on its scale of measurement (again – remember do not go by what is labeled in SPSS – think about the answer options to determine the correct scale of measurement) to answer this question. Using complete sentences and professional conventions, make sure to include descriptive statistics (use one decimal point) to support your answer. (This can be a single sentence).
(4 pts content / 1 pt format)
- Do introverts report the same primary benefit for reminiscing? (Hint: Use the “Select cases if” command to select only those who reported a “5 = True” for the variable “Introverted”, then run the same descriptive statistics you did for the previous question). Using complete sentences and professional conventions, state how many participants this includes and whether their primary benefit is similar to the entire sample. (This may be a single sentence). use one decimal place for percentages – do not round (4 pts content / 1 pt format)
- How do males and females compare in terms of reporting the primary benefit from reminiscing about the past is to “socialize”? (Hint: Reset the “Select cases” command, then split the file (Data Split File, Organize output by groups - Gender), then have SPSS run the same descriptive statistics as you did above to compare males and females. Using complete sentences and professional conventions, make sure to include how many (“valid”) males and females were included as well as their respective percentages. (This may be a single sentence) use one decimal place for percentages – do not round (4 pts content / 1 pt format)
- What is the distribution of responses to the statement “I am satisfied with my life”? (Hints: 1) Reset the Split File from the previous question. 2) Find the variable name and label in SPSS that corresponds to this question). 3) Run appropriate descriptive statistics, and 4) Create a bar chart and label it Figure 1, creating an appropriate title and note based on the descriptive statistics. Make sure all components are formatted using APA conventions.
(4 pts content / 2 pt format)
