JASP: Creating a new variable

Berenike

Hey,

I have created three items in my questionnaire on one topic and would like to combine them in the evaluation (calculate a new variable).

Unfortunately, there is no drag & drop menu on the left to drag the existing variables over to calculate them. Can someone help me here?

Thank you and best regards,

Berenike

EJ

Hello Berenike,

Could you show a screenshot? Perhaps your variables are deemed nominal, and the indicated new column type is continuous?

EJ

Berenike

Berenike

Thank you for your help @EJ ! My variables are ordinal, but the program refuses to click on the drag & drop button (icon with the hand) - it switches automatically to R.

EJ

First off, could you zoom out by pressing "control" and "minus" at the same time? (you can zoom back in with "control" and "plus"). If your items still don't show then please send a screenshot of the measurement level of your variables (on top of each column) -- are they metrisch, ordinal, or nominal?

Berenike

Thanks for the advice, unfortunately the zoom out didn't work.

Hope you can see the measurement level of the variables (it's ordinal)

AlejandroG

Hi Berenike,

Check if these steps help you to solve the issue.

First, click on "Add computed column."

Next, type the new variable's name and its measurement level (in this example, it will be "Scale"). The "hand" option should be selected by default. Then click on "Create Column".

Before you can calculate the new variable, your variables should be at the "Scale" level of measurement for the software to use them for the calculation. To do so, click on the bars icon immediately at the left of the variable names to change the type of measurement level from ordinal (bars icon) to scale (ruler icon).

Make these changes for all the variables you want to use to calculate the new variable. This example has three variables, so they should look like this after the change.

Now, you are ready to calculate the new variable using the "drag and drop formulas" option.

Drag and drop the variables on the left column into the box and use the plus sign "+," then click on "Compute column." That should be enough to calculate the new variable.

I hope it helps.

Alejandro.

AlejandroG

It seems you can use the drag and drop option (at least that's what I can see from the screenshot provided) because the drag and drop option looks like this

and the R option looks like this

EJ

Thanks AlejandroG, it looks like this might be very helpful EJ

Berenike

Thank you both @AlejandroG & @EJ so much for your help!

I understand the steps I have to follow and the scale measurement of the old and the new variable are the same. My problem is that, even though I am in the "Drag&Drop" option, there is no option for me to drag the variables from the left into the field for calculating.

I hope you can see it in the screenshot.

EJ

could you email me the .jasp file?

EJ

AlejandroG

I see what you mean,

Maybe using the R command option can do the job; you just need to select that option (the "R" symbol square) when creating the new variable and insert the code to add up the variables you want.

For example, based on the information in the screenshots, you might use the following code:

Andrea Weber MO 1 + Andrea Weber MO 2 + Andrea Weber MO 3

Or as many variables as you want. Just make sure to write the variables' names down exactly as listed in your database (otherwise it won't recognize the code).

I hope it helps,

Alejandro.

Berenike

Thank you so much, but it doesn't work...

I made sure that the variables´ names are exactly the same but it doesn't calculate the new variable. I don't know where the issue comes from.

EJ

If you email me the file I can take a look (it only needs to have two rows or something to reproduce the issue). Alternatively, you could post this issue on our GitHub page, where you will be in direct contact with the programming team (for details see https://jasp-stats.org/2018/03/29/request-feature-report-bug-jasp/)

Cheers,

E.J.

andersony3k

I don't know if this plays a role, but a basic issue I've always had with jasp (for Windows) is that it doesn't launch with the window maximized, and some elements of the jasp display aren't visible unless the Window is maximized.

Berenike

Thank you! I addressed the issue to the GitHub colleagues.

Have a nice day :)