Hi all,

I have some experience with STATA but I am by far not an expert. I have a set of eight variables (from a larger dataset that I did not code) five of which are from one survey question asking people to assess different aspects of the US government and its response to hurricane Maria. The responses to these five variables are separated into five categories from excellent (coded 1) to poor (coded 5). The other three are formatted differently but still asking about the government's response, two have the response options Better, Worse or about the same, the other is dichotomous.

What I was hoping I would be able to figure out on my own was how to create a single feeling thermometer using these responses as one is not included in this dataset. Ideally the thermometer would descend from the top score for all eight variables where an individual had responded positively to all the questions. For the second category it would include the positive responses from the three differently formatted questions, the middle category would include the ambivalent response option only etc. Those that have answered in varied ways so as not to lose them would then be in between their associated categories. I realize this would not be a feeling thermometer as done traditionally but more of like an assigned score that is being curved where someone scoring 1's across the board have the most affinity for the government working its way down.

Now I know I could use egen to create a variable from the rowtotals or its other options but unless I'm mistaken there is no way to create a thermometer from this. I was also unable to find a post about this in the form. To compare as people answered one way across all the questions but that would require me to reduce the variability in the responses from the first five categories which I don't want to do. I am trying to make a scaled set of responses in order to latter use a linear regression model to predict the likelihood of a statehood vote in a future referendum (yes I am aware of the proposed bill from US congress just the other day, times change but submitted abstracts are forever).

So using the dataex command for these variables I get the following output. I am unfortunately unsure where to start as I have realized that this is over my head and outside of what I have been taught. If this is far to difficult too answer please let me know so I can adjust my plans accordingly.

Variables q16a-e were the first five mentioned above q17 is the dichotomous variable and q18 and q19 are the three option questions. The count here is only ten since the varname coding is so long but I can always provide more observations. I apologize in advance if I haven't articulated my question very well.

Code:
* Example generated by -dataex-. To install: ssc install dataex
clear
input byte(q16a q16b q16c q16d q16e q17 q18 q19)
6 6 3 3 4 2 3 1
5 5 5 5 5 1 3 3
4 4 4 4 5 2 2 1
4 5 5 4 5 2 2 1
2 4 2 3 2 1 2 1
4 4 4 3 5 2 2 1
3 3 3 3 5 1 2 1
1 1 1 1 4 2 3 1
5 5 5 5 5 1 2 1
1 4 3 4 4 2 2 1
end
label values q16a q16a
label def q16a 1 "Excellent", modify
label def q16a 2 "Very good", modify
label def q16a 3 "Good", modify
label def q16a 4 "Fair", modify
label def q16a 5 "Poor", modify
label def q16a 6 "Don't know", modify
label values q16b q16b
label def q16b 1 "Excellent", modify
label def q16b 3 "Good", modify
label def q16b 4 "Fair", modify
label def q16b 5 "Poor", modify
label def q16b 6 "Don't know", modify
label values q16c q16c
label def q16c 1 "Excellent", modify
label def q16c 2 "Very good", modify
label def q16c 3 "Good", modify
label def q16c 4 "Fair", modify
label def q16c 5 "Poor", modify
label values q16d q16d
label def q16d 1 "Excellent", modify
label def q16d 3 "Good", modify
label def q16d 4 "Fair", modify
label def q16d 5 "Poor", modify
label values q16e q16e
label def q16e 2 "Very good", modify
label def q16e 4 "Fair", modify
label def q16e 5 "Poor", modify
label values q17 q17
label def q17 1 "Priority", modify
label def q17 2 "Not a priority", modify
label values q18 q18
label def q18 2 "Worse", modify
label def q18 3 "About the same", modify
label values q19 q19
label def q19 1 "Better", modify
label def q19 3 "About the same", modify
label var q16a "16a. How would you rate the job The federal government has done in responding to" 
label var q16b "16b. How would you rate the job President Trump has done in responding to Hurric" 
label var q16c "16c. How would you rate the job The Puerto Rican government has done in respondi" 
label var q16d "16d. How would you rate the job Governor Rossello has done in responding to Hurr" 
label var q16e "16e. How would you rate the job Your municipal government and mayor has done in " 
label var q17 "17. Do you think the rebuilding of Puerto Rico is a priority for the U.S. federa" 
label var q18 "18. In your opinion, was the federal government's response to Hurricane Maria in" 
label var q19 "19. In your opinion, do you think the federal government's response to Hurricane"

.