How To Use Set Question On Questions With Different Code-Frames

Introduction

Sometimes two variables will have been set up so that they have the same Labels, but different Values associated with their labels. For example, Q1 may have 1 Yes and 2 No, while Q2 may have 1 No and 2 Yes. If Set Question is used to create a question using these variables, the labels will be taken from the first of the variables, which will mean that the table provides misleading results (you will get a warning).

Method

The solution to this problem is to:

1. Recode the values so that they align. In the example above, this means replacing the Value for No with a 2 and Yes with a 1.
2. In the Variables and Questions tab, right-click on any variables that have been recoded, and select Copy and Paste Variable(s) > Linked.
3. Select the existing variables that were not recoded, and the linked copies of the recoded variables, right-click, and select Set Question.

The logic behind this process is as follows:

• When you use Set Question, Q does not look at the actual Values. Instead, it looks at the Source Values (i.e., the values prior to any recoding). This is often useful as it permits Set Question to work even when you have recoded data such that multiple Labels share a single Value (e.g., if computing NPS).
• When you take a linked copy, Q creates a new variable that refers back to the values of the previous variable. As these values have been changed by the recoding, then the Source Values of the new variable will now reflect what is required.

Also See

How to Modify Variables and Questions