SPSS® 12.0 Command Syntax Reference

RUNS Subcommand
Syntax
Operations
Example
NPAR TESTS RUNS({MEAN })=varlist
{MEDIAN}
{MODE }
{value }
NPAR TESTS 1097
RUNS tests whether the sequence of values of a dichotomized variable is random. The output
includes a Run Test table showing the test value (cut point used to dichotomize the variable
tested), number of runs, number of cases below the cut point, number of cases greater than or
equal to the cut point, and test statistic Z with its two-tailed probability for each variable.
• The minimum specification is a cut point in parentheses followed by a test variable.
• The cut point can be specified by an exact value or one of the keywords MEAN, MEDIAN,
or MODE.
• All variables tested are treated as dichotomous: cases with values less than the cut point
form one category, and cases with values greater than or equal to the cut point form the
other category.
• Test statistics are calculated for each variable specified.
NPAR TESTS RUNS(MEDIAN)=V2 /RUNS(24.5)=V2 /RUNS(1)=V3.
• This example performs three runs tests. The first tests variable V2 using the median as the
cut point. The second also tests V2, this time using 24.5 as the cut point. The third tests
variable V3 with value 1 specified as the cut point.
SIGN Subcommand
Syntax
NPAR TESTS SIGN=varlist [WITH varlist [(PAIRED)] ]
SIGN tests whether the distribution of two paired variables in a two-related-samples test is the
same. The output includes a Frequency table showing for each pair the number of positive
differences, number of negative differences, number of ties, and the total number and a Test
Statistics table showing the Z statistic and two-tailed probability.
• The minimum specification is a list of two variables.
• Variables should be at least at the ordinal level of measurement.