Appendix F — APA-Style Tables: Converting SPSS Output
This appendix provides guidance for converting SPSS output tables into APA-formatted tables suitable for academic papers and publications. While automated conversion isn’t available within this book, you’ll learn the formatting rules and find templates you can adapt.
F.1 Quick APA Table Formatting Rules
- Numbers: Report to 2 decimal places (except p-values: 3 decimals)
- Italics: Variable names, statistics symbols (M, SD, t, F, p, r, df)
- Alignment: First column left-aligned; headers and numbers center-aligned for readability
- Lines: Horizontal lines only (top, below header, bottom); no vertical lines
- Title: Numbered (e.g., “Table 1”), brief but descriptive, above table
- Note: Explanatory information below table (if needed)
- Spacing: Double-space in manuscripts; single or 1.5 for readability in reports
Method 1: Copy from Rendered Book (Recommended)
- Open this book in your browser (the HTML version)
- Click and drag to select the entire table (including borders)
- Copy (Ctrl+C or Cmd+C)
- Paste into Word/Google Docs (Ctrl+V or Cmd+V)
- The table will maintain proper formatting with borders and alignment
Method 2: Use HTML Tables
- Each example below includes an “HTML Version for Word” section
- Click and drag to select the table in your browser
- Copy and paste directly into Word/Google Docs
- Formatting will be preserved automatically
Method 3: Use Markdown in Word
- If copying markdown code, paste it into Word first as plain text
- Then use a markdown plugin or convert manually to a table using Word’s Insert Table feature
F.2 Using AI Tools for Conversion
For automated conversion, you can use these AI tools:
- ChatGPT or Claude (with vision)
- Upload screenshot of SPSS table
- Prompt: “Convert this SPSS output to an APA-formatted table”
- Copy the generated markdown or HTML
- Microsoft Copilot (in Word/Excel)
- Paste SPSS output
- Ask: “Format this as an APA-style table”
- Copy SPSS output as text, then paste into ChatGPT with: “Reformat this as APA 7th edition table”
F.3 Formatting Tables in Microsoft Word
After pasting HTML tables into Word or Google Docs, you may need to adjust borders and alignment to match APA style exactly.
F.3.1 Fixing Table Borders in Word
APA style requires only three horizontal lines:
- Line at the top of the table (above column headers)
- Line below column headers (separating headers from data)
- Line at the bottom of the table (after last row)
No vertical lines should appear in APA tables.
Steps to fix borders in Microsoft Word:
- Select the entire table (click the four-arrow icon in top-left corner of table)
- Go to Table Design tab (or Table Tools → Design)
- Click Borders dropdown button
- Select No Border to remove all borders
- With table still selected, click Borders dropdown again
- Select Top Border (adds line at top of table)
- Select only the header row (first row with column labels)
- Click Borders dropdown → Select Bottom Border (adds line below headers)
- Select only the last data row
- Click Borders dropdown → Select Bottom Border (adds line at bottom)
Your table should now have exactly 3 horizontal lines matching APA style.
F.3.2 Alignment Best Practices
First Column (Row Labels):
- Left-aligned: Variable names, group labels, condition names
- This allows easy scanning down the list
Column Headers:
- Center-aligned: This centers headers over their data columns
- Creates clear visual connection between header and data below
Numerical Data Columns:
- Center-aligned (RECOMMENDED): Best for readability across rows
- Makes it easy to trace values horizontally across the table
- Each number clearly corresponds to its row label
- Alternative: Right-aligned with decimal alignment if you prefer
Why center-align numbers?
When row labels are left-aligned and numbers are centered, your eye can easily trace horizontally across the row to see which values belong together. This is especially important when column widths vary.
Table Notes:
- Left-aligned, placed below the table
Example alignment for a typical APA table:
┌─────────────┬────────┬────────┬────────┬────────┐
│ Group │ n │ M │ SD │ t │ ← Headers: CENTERED
├─────────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┤
│ Control │ 30 │ 85.50 │ 12.45 │ │ ← Numbers: CENTERED
│ Treatment │ 30 │ 92.30 │ 10.87 │ −2.31 │ ← Easy to read across
└─────────────┴────────┴────────┴────────┴────────┘
↑ Left-alignedTo adjust alignment in Word:
- For the first column (row labels):
- Select the first column only
- Home tab → Click “Align Left” button
- For column headers:
- Select the first row (header row)
- Home tab → Click “Center” button
- For numerical data columns:
- Select all data cells (excluding first column)
- Home tab → Click “Center” button
- This centers all numbers, making rows easy to read
Alternative: Decimal-aligned numbers (more advanced):
- Select numerical columns
- Right-click → Paragraph → Tabs
- Set a Decimal tab stop at appropriate position
- Numbers will align on decimal points
F.4 Independent Samples t-Test
F.4.1 SPSS Output Example
Typical SPSS output includes two tables: Group Statistics and Independent Samples Test.
Group Statistics
Group N Mean Std. Deviation Std. Error Mean
Score Control 30 85.50 12.45 2.27
Treatment 30 92.30 10.87 1.98
Independent Samples Test
Levene's Test t-test for Equality of Means
F Sig. t df Sig.(2-tailed) Mean Diff
Equal variances assumed 1.23 .271 -2.31 58 .024 -6.80F.4.2 APA-Formatted Table
Table 1
Descriptive Statistics and Independent Samples t-Test Results
| Group | n | M | SD | t | df | p | Cohen’s d |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Control | 30 | 85.50 | 12.45 | ||||
| Treatment | 30 | 92.30 | 10.87 | −2.31 | 58 | .024 | 0.58 |
Note. Levene’s test indicated equal variances (F = 1.23, p = .271).
F.4.3 HTML Version for Word/Google Docs
Copy the table below by clicking and dragging to select it, then paste into Word or Google Docs:
Table 1
Descriptive Statistics and Independent Samples t-Test Results
| Group | n | M | SD | t | df | p | Cohen's d |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Control | 30 | 85.50 | 12.45 | ||||
| Treatment | 30 | 92.30 | 10.87 | −2.31 | 58 | .024 | 0.58 |
Note. Levene's test indicated equal variances (F = 1.23, p = .271).
Once you paste this table into Microsoft Word:
- Verify Borders:
- The table should already have only 3 horizontal lines (top, below header, bottom)
- No vertical lines should appear
- If you see extra borders, select the table and remove them (see Formatting Tables in Microsoft Word)
- Check Alignment:
- First column (Group/Variable names): Should be left-aligned
- Column headers: Should be center-aligned
- All number columns (n, M, SD, t, df, p, Cohen’s d): Should be center-aligned
- This makes it easy to trace values horizontally across rows
- Verify Italics:
- Statistical symbols (n, M, SD, t, df, p, d) should remain italicized
- If italics are lost, manually reapply
See Alignment Best Practices for detailed guidance.
F.4.4 Template (Copy & Modify)
**Table X**
*[Your descriptive title here]*
| Group | *n* | *M* | *SD* | *t* | *df* | *p* | Cohen's *d* |
|:----------|:---:|:-----:|:-----:|:-----:|:----:|:----:|:-----------:|
| [Group 1] | XX | XX.XX | XX.XX | | | | |
| [Group 2] | XX | XX.XX | XX.XX | −X.XX | XX | .XXX | X.XX |
*Note*. [Add relevant notes about assumptions, tests, or interpretations]F.5 Paired Samples t-Test
F.5.1 SPSS Output Example
Paired Samples Statistics
Mean N Std. Deviation Std. Error Mean
Pair 1 Pre 78.40 25 11.23 2.25
Post 84.60 25 10.45 2.09
Paired Samples Test
Paired Differences t df Sig.(2-tailed)
Mean Std.Dev Std.Error 95% CI
Mean Lower Upper
Pair 1 Pre-Post -6.20 8.45 1.69 -9.68 -2.72 -3.67 24 .001F.5.2 APA-Formatted Table
Table 2
Paired Samples t-Test: Pre-test and Post-test Scores
| Measure | M | SD | t | df | p | 95% CI | Cohen’s d |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pre | 78.40 | 11.23 | |||||
| Post | 84.60 | 10.45 | −3.67 | 24 | .001 | [−9.68, −2.72] | 0.73 |
Note. n = 25. CI = confidence interval for mean difference.
F.5.3 HTML Version for Word/Google Docs
Copy the table below by clicking and dragging to select it, then paste into Word or Google Docs:
Table 2
Paired Samples t-Test: Pre-test and Post-test Scores
| Measure | M | SD | t | df | p | 95% CI | Cohen's d |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pre | 78.40 | 11.23 | |||||
| Post | 84.60 | 10.45 | −3.67 | 24 | .001 | [−9.68, −2.72] | 0.73 |
Note. n = 25. CI = confidence interval for mean difference.
F.5.4 Template (Copy & Modify)
**Table X**
*[Your descriptive title with time points]*
| Measure | *M* | *SD* | *t* | *df* | *p* | 95% CI | Cohen's *d* |
|:----------|:-----:|:-----:|:-----:|:----:|:----:|:--------------:|:-----------:|
| [Time 1] | XX.XX | XX.XX | | | | | |
| [Time 2] | XX.XX | XX.XX | −X.XX | XX | .XXX | [XX.XX, XX.XX] | X.XX |
*Note*. *n* = XX. CI = confidence interval for mean difference.F.6 One-Way ANOVA
F.6.1 SPSS Output Example
Descriptives
N Mean Std.Deviation
Group 1 20 75.50 8.45
Group 2 20 82.30 9.12
Group 3 20 88.75 7.89
ANOVA
Sum of Squares df Mean Square F Sig.
Between 1534.50 2 767.25 10.56 .000
Within 4145.25 57 72.72
Total 5679.75 59F.6.2 APA-Formatted Table
Table 3
One-Way ANOVA: Performance Scores by Group
| Source | SS | df | MS | F | p | η² p |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Between groups | 1534.50 | 2 | 767.25 | 10.56 | <.001 | .270 |
| Within groups | 4145.25 | 57 | 72.72 |
Group Means
| Group | n | M | SD |
|---|---|---|---|
| Group 1 | 20 | 75.50 | 8.45 |
| Group 2 | 20 | 82.30 | 9.12 |
| Group 3 | 20 | 88.75 | 7.89 |
Note. Post-hoc comparisons (Tukey HSD) showed Group 3 > Group 1 (p < .001) and Group 3 > Group 2 (p = .012).
F.6.3 HTML Version for Word/Google Docs
Copy the tables below by clicking and dragging to select them, then paste into Word or Google Docs:
Table 3
One-Way ANOVA: Performance Scores by Group
| Source | SS | df | MS | F | p | η²p |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Between groups | 1534.50 | 2 | 767.25 | 10.56 | <.001 | .270 |
| Within groups | 4145.25 | 57 | 72.72 |
Group Means
| Group | n | M | SD |
|---|---|---|---|
| Group 1 | 20 | 75.50 | 8.45 |
| Group 2 | 20 | 82.30 | 9.12 |
| Group 3 | 20 | 88.75 | 7.89 |
Note. Post-hoc comparisons (Tukey HSD) showed Group 3 > Group 1 (p < .001) and Group 3 > Group 2 (p = .012).
F.6.4 Template (Copy & Modify)
**Table X**
*[Your ANOVA title with DV and IV]*
| Source | *SS* | *df* | *MS* | *F* | *p* | η² p |
|:---------------|:-------:|:----:|:------:|:-----:|:----:|:----:|
| Between groups | XXXX.XX | X | XXX.XX | XX.XX | .XXX | .XXX |
| Within groups | XXXX.XX | XX | XX.XX | | | |
**Group Means**
| Group | *n* | *M* | *SD* |
|:----------|:---:|:-----:|:-----:|
| [Group 1] | XX | XX.XX | XX.XX |
| [Group 2] | XX | XX.XX | XX.XX |
| [Group 3] | XX | XX.XX | XX.XX |
*Note*. [Add post-hoc test results or other relevant information]F.7 Correlation Matrix
F.7.1 SPSS Output Example
Correlations
Variable 1 Variable 2 Variable 3
Variable 1 1.000 .456** .234
Variable 2 .456** 1.000 .678**
Variable 3 .234 .678** 1.000
** Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed)F.7.2 APA-Formatted Table
Table 4
Correlations Between Study Variables
| Variable | 1 | 2 | 3 | M | SD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. [Variable 1] | — | 45.30 | 8.45 | ||
| 2. [Variable 2] | .46** | — | 52.10 | 9.12 | |
| 3. [Variable 3] | .23 | .68** | — | 38.75 | 6.89 |
Note. n = 60. ** p < .01.
F.7.3 HTML Version for Word/Google Docs
Copy the table below by clicking and dragging to select it, then paste into Word or Google Docs:
Table 4
Correlations Between Study Variables
| Variable | 1 | 2 | 3 | M | SD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. [Variable 1] | — | 45.30 | 8.45 | ||
| 2. [Variable 2] | .46** | — | 52.10 | 9.12 | |
| 3. [Variable 3] | .23 | .68** | — | 38.75 | 6.89 |
Note. n = 60. ** p < .01.
F.7.4 Template (Copy & Modify)
**Table X**
*[Your correlation matrix title]*
| Variable | 1 | 2 | 3 | *M* | *SD* |
|:------------------|:-----:|:-----:|:---:|:-----:|:-----:|
| 1. [Variable name] | — | | | XX.XX | XX.XX |
| 2. [Variable name] | .XX* | — | | XX.XX | XX.XX |
| 3. [Variable name] | .XX | .XX** | — | XX.XX | XX.XX |
*Note*. *n* = XX. * *p* < .05. ** *p* < .01.F.8 Descriptive Statistics
F.8.1 SPSS Output Example
Descriptive Statistics
N Minimum Maximum Mean Std.Deviation Skewness Kurtosis
Age 100 18.00 65.00 32.45 12.34 0.45 -0.23
Height (cm) 100 152.00 198.00 172.30 15.67 0.12 0.08
Weight (kg) 100 45.00 110.00 71.52 18.90 0.67 0.45F.8.2 APA-Formatted Table
Table 5
Descriptive Statistics for Participant Characteristics
| Variable | n | M | SD | Min | Max | Skew | Kurt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age (years) | 100 | 32.45 | 12.34 | 18.00 | 65.00 | 0.45 | −0.23 |
| Height (cm) | 100 | 172.30 | 15.67 | 152.00 | 198.00 | 0.12 | 0.08 |
| Weight (kg) | 100 | 71.52 | 18.90 | 45.00 | 110.00 | 0.67 | 0.45 |
F.8.3 HTML Version for Word/Google Docs
Copy the table below by clicking and dragging to select it, then paste into Word or Google Docs:
Table 5
Descriptive Statistics for Participant Characteristics
| Variable | n | M | SD | Min | Max | Skew | Kurt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age (years) | 100 | 32.45 | 12.34 | 18.00 | 65.00 | 0.45 | −0.23 |
| Height (cm) | 100 | 172.30 | 15.67 | 152.00 | 198.00 | 0.12 | 0.08 |
| Weight (kg) | 100 | 71.52 | 18.90 | 45.00 | 110.00 | 0.67 | 0.45 |
F.8.4 Template (Copy & Modify)
**Table X**
*[Your descriptive statistics title]*
| Variable | *n* | *M* | *SD* | Min | Max | Skew | Kurt |
|:-------------|:---:|:-----:|:-----:|:-----:|:-----:|:----:|:----:|
| [Variable 1] | XXX | XX.XX | XX.XX | XX.XX | XX.XX | X.XX | X.XX |
| [Variable 2] | XXX | XX.XX | XX.XX | XX.XX | XX.XX | X.XX | X.XX |F.9 Step-by-Step Conversion Guide
F.9.1 Manual Conversion Process
Identify key statistics from SPSS output:
- Sample sizes (n)
- Means (M) and standard deviations (SD)
- Test statistics (t, F, r)
- Degrees of freedom (df)
- p-values
- Effect sizes (calculate if not provided)
Choose appropriate template from sections above
Format numbers correctly:
- 2 decimals for descriptive stats
- 3 decimals for p-values
- Report p < .001 (not exact value if very small)
- Use en-dash (–) for negative values in tables
Apply italics to all statistical symbols
Add table number and title above the table
Include note below table for:
- Sample size if not in table body
- Assumption test results
- Post-hoc test outcomes
- Abbreviations used
F.9.2 Using AI to Speed Up Conversion
Recommended prompt for ChatGPT/Claude:
Convert the following SPSS output to an APA 7th edition formatted table.
Use markdown format with proper italics for statistical symbols. Include:
- Table number and descriptive title
- Properly aligned columns
- 2 decimal places for means/SDs, 3 for p-values
- Relevant notes below the table
[Paste your SPSS output here]F.10 Common Formatting Mistakes to Avoid
- ❌ Reporting too many decimal places (e.g., M = 85.4567)
- ❌ Using vertical lines in tables
- ❌ Not italicizing statistical symbols
- ❌ Inconsistent decimal alignment
- ❌ Including SPSS-specific formatting (colors, gridlines)
- ❌ Forgetting to report effect sizes
- ❌ Writing p = .000 instead of p < .001
- ❌ Not explaining abbreviations in notes
F.11 Additional Resources
Official APA Guidelines:
- APA Style Tables Guidelines
- APA Publication Manual (7th ed.), Chapter 7
Save your formatted tables as templates in Word or a text file. When you need a similar table, copy your template and just update the numbers—much faster than reformatting from scratch each time!