Cross-Tabulation of Raw Data into a Contingency Table

Objective To show how we get a

contingency table from raw data.

Raw data from an actual survey of MBA Definition A cross-tabulation of frequencies is a contingency table. This
students (143 responses, 3 variables). table can then be used to estimate empirical probabilities.

Question Wording of question

Obs Q13 Q17 Q20 Q13 What is your political orientation (1=liberal, 2=middle-of-road, 3=conservative)
1 1 2 2 Q17 How often do you read a daily newspaper (0=never, 1=occasionally, 2=regularly)
2 2 1 1 Q20 How often do you exercise at aerobics, running, etc. (0=not at all, 1=sometimes, 2=regularly)
3 1 2 2
4 2 1 2
5 2 1 1 Minitab's cross-tabulation Cleaned up and relabeled
6 2 2 2 Rows: Q13 Columns: Q17 Daily Newspaper reading Habits
7 3 0 1 0 1 2 Total Politics Never Occasionally Regularly Row Total
8 2 2 1 1 1 10 14 25 Liberal 1 10 14 25
9 2 2 1 2 3 31 27 61 Middle-of-Road 3 31 27 61
10 3 1 1 3 5 21 31 57 Conservative 5 21 31 57
11 2 2 1 Total 9 62 72 143 Column Total 9 62 72 143
12 3 2 2
13 3 1 1
14 3 2 2 Minitab's cross-tabulation Cleaned up and relabeled
15 3 2 2 Rows: Q13 Columns: Q20 Aerobic Exercise
16 3 2 2 0 1 2 Total Politics Not at all Sometimes Regularly Row Total
17 3 2 2 1 1 9 15 25 Liberal 1 9 15 25
18 3 2 1 2 8 31 22 61 Middle-of-Road 8 31 22 61
19 3 1 1 3 8 28 21 57 Conservative 8 28 21 57
20 2 2 2 Total 17 68 58 143 Column Total 17 68 58 143
21 3 2 1
22 2 2 2
23 2 2 1 Minitab commands to create the cross tabulation
24 3 0 1
25 2 1 1
26 2 2 2
27 3 1 1
28 1 1 2
29 2 1 2
30 1 2 2
31 3 2 1
32 2 1 1
33 2 2 2
34 2 2 1
35 3 1 2 Copyright Notice Portions of MINITAB
36 1 1 1 Statistical Software input and output
37 2 2 0 contained in this document are printed with
permission of Minitab, Inc. MINITABTM is a
38 2 1 1 trademark of Minitab Inc. in the United States
39 3 2 2 and other countries and is used herein with
40 3 1 1 the owner's permission.
41 1 2 2
42 2 1 2
43 2 0 0
44 3 2 0
45 3 1 1
46 2 1 1
47 3 2 2
48 1 1 2
49 3 2 1
50 1 2 1
51 3 2 2
52 2 2 2
53 2 2 2
54 1 2 2
55 2 1 0
56 2 1 2
57 1 1 2
58 3 1 0
59 1 1 1
60 2 1 2
61 2 1 1
62 1 1 0
63 3 1 1
Cross-Tabulation of Raw Data into a Contingency Table Using Pivot Table

Objective To show how we get a contingency table

from raw data.
Raw data from an actual survey of MBA students
(143 responses, 3 variables).
Definition A cross-tabulation of frequencies is a contingency table. To create such a table, click Insert > Pivot
Table, highlight the data array, choose your row and column variables from the Field List, and drag either one to
the data region to get a count. This table of count data for each cell can then be used to estimate empirical
probabilities.

Question Wording of question

Obs Politics Newspaper Exercise Politics What is your political orientation (1=liberal, 2=middle-of-road, 3=conservative)
1 Liberal Regularly Regularly Newspaper How often do you read a daily newspaper (0=never, 1=occasionally, 2=regularly)
2 Middle Occasionally Occasionally Exercise How often do you exercise at aerobics, running, etc. (0=not at all, 1=sometimes, 2=regularly)
3 Liberal Regularly Regularly
4 Middle Occasionally Regularly Count of Politics Exercise
5 Middle Occasionally Occasionally Politics Never Occasionally Regularly Total Result
6 Middle Regularly Regularly Conservative 8 28 21 57
7 Conservative Never Occasionally Liberal 1 9 15 25
8 Middle Regularly Occasionally Middle 8 31 22 61
9 Middle Regularly Occasionally Total Result 17 68 58 143
10 Conservative Occasionally Occasionally
11 Middle Regularly Occasionally Count of Politics Newspaper
12 Conservative Regularly Regularly Politics Never Occasionally Regularly Total Result
13 Conservative Occasionally Occasionally Conservative 5 21 31 57
14 Conservative Regularly Regularly Liberal 1 10 14 25
15 Conservative Regularly Regularly Middle 3 31 27 61
16 Conservative Regularly Regularly Total Result 9 62 72 143
17 Conservative Regularly Regularly
18 Conservative Regularly Occasionally Count of Exercise Newspaper
19 Conservative Occasionally Occasionally Exercise Never Occasionally Regularly Total Result
20 Middle Regularly Regularly Never 5 7 5 17
21 Conservative Regularly Occasionally Occasionally 2 34 32 68
22 Middle Regularly Regularly Regularly 2 21 35 58
23 Middle Regularly Occasionally Total Result 9 62 72 143
24 Conservative Never Occasionally
25 Middle Occasionally Occasionally
26 Middle Regularly Regularly
27 Conservative Occasionally Occasionally
28 Liberal Occasionally Regularly
29 Middle Occasionally Regularly
30 Liberal Regularly Regularly
31 Conservative Regularly Occasionally
32 Middle Occasionally Occasionally
33 Middle Regularly Regularly
34 Middle Regularly Occasionally
35 Conservative Occasionally Regularly
36 Liberal Occasionally Occasionally
37 Middle Regularly Never
38 Middle Occasionally Occasionally
39 Conservative Regularly Regularly
40 Conservative Occasionally Occasionally
41 Liberal Regularly Regularly
42 Middle Occasionally Regularly
43 Middle Never Never
44 Conservative Regularly Never
45 Conservative Occasionally Occasionally
46 Middle Occasionally Occasionally
47 Conservative Regularly Regularly
48 Liberal Occasionally Regularly
49 Conservative Regularly Occasionally
50 Liberal Regularly Occasionally
51 Conservative Regularly Regularly
52 Middle Regularly Regularly
53 Middle Regularly Regularly
54 Liberal Regularly Regularly
55 Middle Occasionally Never
56 Middle Occasionally Regularly
57 Liberal Occasionally Regularly
58 Conservative Occasionally Never
59 Liberal Occasionally Occasionally
60 Middle Occasionally Regularly
61 Middle Occasionally Occasionally
62 Liberal Occasionally Never
63 Conservative Occasionally Occasionally