Section author: Laiton Hedley

Transformed Variables

Use Transformed Variables for complex transformations, such as reverse scoring and recoding. Unlike computed variables, transformed variables allow you to define a single transformation rule and apply it across multiple columns at once.

Adding a Transformed Variable

1. Click the Data tab in the ribbon.

2. Click the Add button and select Append (or Insert) under Transformed Variable.

3. Double-click the new column header to open the variable editor.

Configuring Your Transformation

Once the variable editor is open:

• Select a Source variable: Choose the column you want to transform.

• Select a Transform: Click using transform to select an existing transformation or create a new one by selecting Create New Transform….

When you create a new transformation, you use the special variable $source to refer to your selected source column.

Example: Reverse Scoring

To reverse score a survey item on a 6-point Likert scale (where 1 becomes 6, 2 becomes 5, etc.), use the formula:

7 - $source

In this case, jamovi subtracts each value in the source column from 7.

Table 7 Example of Reverse Scoring

Item_3 (Source)	Transformed Variable (7 - $source)
3	4
6	1
2	5

Recoding Variables

Transformed variables are also ideal for recoding — for example, recoding cigarette consumption (0 per day → 'Non-smoker', 1–10 per day → 'Smoker') or converting exam scores into grade labels (≥ 85 → 'HD', ≥ 75 → 'D', and so on).

To set up a recode:

1. In the variable editor, click the Add recode condition button.

2. Define your condition using $source (e.g., $source >= 85).

3. Assign a value for when that condition is true (e.g., 'HD').

4. Repeat for each additional condition.

Adding conditions for all five grade boundaries (HD, D, C, P, F) produces the following result:

Table 8 Example of Recoding

Exam Score	Grade
90	HD
76	D
66	C
50	P
44	F

Important

Recode conditions are evaluated in order. jamovi uses the value from the first condition that resolves to true and ignores the rest. This means you can simplify your conditions: for example, you can write $source >= 75 immediately after an $source >= 85 condition without needing to also specify $source < 85 — values of 85 and above are already handled by the first condition.

Transforming Multiple Variables

You can apply the same transformation to many variables simultaneously:

1. Select the columns you want to transform (hold Ctrl or ⌘ while clicking the column headers, or select multiple variables from the Variables tab).

2. Click the Transform button in the Data tab.

jamovi creates a new transformed variable for each column you selected, with the Source variable already set to the corresponding column. You can then define a single transformation rule and apply it across all of them at once.