Discussion Questions

1. What is the difference between Pearson’s correlation coefficient, r, and the coefficient of determination, r2? What does each statistic tell us about the relationship between two variables? What do these statistics NOT tell us about the relationship between two variables?

2. Discuss the reasons and situations in which researchers would want to use linear regression. How would a researcher know whether linear regression would be the appropriate statistical technique to use? What are some of the benefits of fitting the relationship between two variables to an equation for a straight line?

3. What is the difference between strength and fit when interpreting regression equations? Do we always need to report and discuss both?

4. What are the differences between bivariate regression and multiple regression?

5. When reporting Pearson’s R, do we always have to report R2 along with it? Why or why not?

6. What are the differences in the ANOVA summary table between multiple regression and bivariate linear regression?