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Correlation and Simple Regression

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Abstract

The methods we have discussed so far allow us to examine whether means of a numeric variable (interval/ratio) vary across two or more groups measured at the nominal level and whether two or more nominal, or possibly ordinal variables, are associated. However, we often want to determine whether two continuous variables are related. In these cases, none of the methods we have covered is appropriate. Instead, we may turn to two alternate methods: the Pearson correlation coefficient and the simple linear regression model. These methods form the basis for the more widely used multiple regression model, which we will discuss in the next chapter.

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Lynch, S.M. (2013). Correlation and Simple Regression. In: Using Statistics in Social Research. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-8573-5_9

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