I would advise against using a boxplot to display the distribution of a 5-point Likert item. A boxplot is mainly useful to summarize the distribution of a continuous (or at least interval-level) variable. A single Likert item is discrete, categorical, and ordinal. Software will still calculate the median, as well as the first and third quartile points (the edges of the "box") and will produce values with decimal fractions that do not exactly equal any of the whole-number integers (1 to 5) that you have assigned to represent the categories. Also, the maximum and minimum values (5 and 1) will often be the same for all the Likert variables you are displaying, so the "whiskers" will be largely uninformative.

If you want to display the distribution of a 5-category variable, a bar chart is a better choice. As I recall, SPSS gives you the option of displaying verbal value labels instead of the numerical values, and may also let you choose a vertical bar chart instead of the default horizontal. But I can't give you specific syntax for how to make those selections; sorry.

I would advise against using a boxplot to display the distribution of a 5-point Likert item. A boxplot is mainly useful to summarize the distribution of a continuous (or at least interval-level) variable. A single Likert item is discrete, categorical, and ordinal. Software will still calculate the median, as well as the first and third quartile points (the edges of the "box") and will produce values with decimal fractions that do not exactly equal any of the whole-number integers (1 to 5) that you have assigned to represent the categories. Also, the maximum and minimum values (5 and 1) will often be the same for all the Likert variables you are displaying, so the "whiskers" will be largely uninformative.

If you want to display the distribution of a 5-category variable, a bar chart is a better choice. As I recall, SPSS gives you the option of displaying verbal value labels instead of the numerical values, and may also let you choose a vertical bar chart instead of the default horizontal. But I can't give you specific syntax for how to make those selections; sorry.

Yes it's probably best to make a clustered bar chart with the likert categories on the x-axis and a frequency bar for each group in each category. If you've defined the "Values" in "Variable View" for your likert variable, these names will appear on the x-axis. Choose the clustered bar chart option in the SPSS chart builder, drag the likert variable to the x-axis, and your group variable to the "cluster on x.." box. You'll end up with something like the attached example.

Best of luck!

Roxy

I would recommend the bar chart.

For your question, in SPSS, the boxplot only allows scale variable on y axis. Because it is a scale variable, the labels will not be displayed.

But please remember not to be software-dependent. You can simply copy the graph into any photo editor to manually add what you need (for example to clarify things on the graph)

Thank you all for the help! :)