Regression

[Page 2822]Regression embodies a set of statistical procedures designed to answer questions of critical importance in psychology, including prediction, explanation, and theory construction. Ultimately, the purpose of regression is to explain as much of the variability in a criterion, which is the variable being predicted (i.e., the dependent variable), as is attributable to differences in the predictor variable or variables. Regression is a powerful tool frequently used by psychologists to address important questions of interest, with the goal of identifying predictors that are related to the criterion of interest. To yield the most meaningful results, predictors are selected on the basis of previous research or theoretical importance. This entry discusses two forms of regression: (1) simple regression and (2) multiple regression.