Weight cases
Weight Cases gives cases different weights (by simulated replication) for statistical analysis.
- The values of the weighting variable should indicate the number of observations represented by single cases in your data file.
- Cases with zero, negative, or missing values for the weighting variable are excluded from analysis.
- Fractional values are valid and some procedures, such as Frequencies, Crosstabs, and Custom Tables, will use fractional weight values. However, most procedures treat the weighting variable as a replication weight and will simply round fractional weights to the nearest integer. Some procedures ignore the weighting variable completely, and this limitation is noted in the procedure-specific documentation.
Once you apply a weight variable, it remains in effect until you select another weight variable or turn off weighting. If you save a weighted data file, weighting information is saved with the data file. You can turn off weighting at any time, even after the file has been saved in weighted form.
Weights in Crosstabs. The Crosstabs procedure has several options for handling case weights. See the topic Crosstabs cell display for more information.
Weights in scatterplots and histograms. Scatterplots and histograms have an option for turning case weights on and off, but this does not affect cases with a zero, negative, or missing value for the weight variable. These cases remain excluded from the chart even if you turn weighting off from within the chart.
To Weight Cases
- From the menus choose:
- Select Weight cases by.
- Select a frequency variable.
The values of the frequency variable are used as case weights. For example, a case with a value of 3 for the frequency variable will represent three cases in the weighted data file.