SPSS Regression & Three-Line Table Guide | APA Table Formatting Tutorial

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AcademicIdeas offers step-by-step SPSS output formatting tutorials, guiding students to generate standard three-line tables for regression and ANOVA in APA style.

• Master APA style three-line table layout (top, header, and bottom borders)
• Convert raw SPSS regression, correlation, and ANOVA outputs into clean Word tables
• Format statistical markers including significance asterisks and standard errors
• Top and bottom borders: These act as table boundaries and are usually drawn with a heavier line weight (e.g. 1.0 or 1.5 pt).

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What this page helps you do first

• Master APA style three-line table layout (top, header, and bottom borders)
• Convert raw SPSS regression, correlation, and ANOVA outputs into clean Word tables
• Format statistical markers including significance asterisks and standard errors

Standard Three-Line Table Layout Rules

A three-line table gets its name because it has three main horizontal lines: a top border, a header line, and a bottom border. It is the academic standard for data tables in journals and theses.

The main rule of a three-line table is that no vertical borders should be drawn, and the left and right sides of the table must remain open. This keeps the look clean and guides the reader to focus on variables and values.

• Top and bottom borders: These act as table boundaries and are usually drawn with a heavier line weight (e.g. 1.0 or 1.5 pt).
• Header separator line: This sits below the table headers to separate them from data rows and uses a lighter weight (e.g. 0.5 pt).
• Minor horizontal lines: Auxiliary short horizontal lines can be added inside headers to separate sub-columns, but vertical lines are banned.

Exporting and Converting SPSS Outputs in Word

SPSS output viewer tables compile with default grids and double borders. Copying them directly to Word looks messy and fails formatting standards.

You can easily use Microsoft Word table border tools to transform raw SPSS exports into compliant three-line tables while keeping the cells editable.

• Exporting SPSS data: Right-click the table in your SPSS output window, choose Export, and save it as RTF or Docx format.
• Clearing default grids: Select the table in Word, open the Table Design panel, and select No Border to clear all borders.
• Drawing the three lines: Select the first row to add top and bottom borders (top and header lines), and add a bottom border to the last row (bottom line).

Formatting Statistical Values and Significance Levels

In regression or correlation tables, independent variables are mapped as rows, while statistical variables (B, S.E., Beta, t-value, p-value) are mapped to columns.

Significance levels should be marked with asterisks next to coefficients and declared in a footnote rather than typing text comments into cells.

• Asterisks definitions: Standard conventions declare * for p < 0.05, ** for p < 0.01, and *** for p < 0.001.
• Coefficients and errors: Standard errors (S.E.) are often wrapped in parentheses and placed directly below their unstandardized coefficients (B).
• Note annotation: Add a left-aligned note below the bottom line, e.g., "Note. * p < .05, ** p < .01, all tests are two-tailed."

Frequently asked questions

Does a three-line table really contain only three lines?

Yes, a standard three-line table has exactly three horizontal lines: a top border, a header separator, and a bottom border. Vertical lines are strictly forbidden. You can add minor horizontal lines inside the header row to separate sub-columns, but no vertical dividers should ever be used.

What is the fastest way to turn SPSS exports into three-line tables?

Select your imported table in Word, open the Table Design panel, and clear all borders. Then add top and bottom borders only to the header row (acting as top and header lines), and add a bottom border to the last row (bottom line). You can save this as a custom Word style for efficiency.

How should t-values, Beta coefficients, and p-values be structured?

In a regression table, independent variables are mapped to rows, while statistics (B, S.E., Beta, t-value, p-value) are mapped to columns. Use asterisks next to coefficients to denote significance levels, and declare them in a footer note (e.g., * p < 0.05, ** p < 0.01).