ABSTRACT
Statistical models provide powerful tools to researchers in a wide array of disciplines. Such models allow for the examination of relationships among multiple variables, which in turn can lead to a better understanding of the world. For example, sociologists use linear regression to gain insights into how factors such as ethnicity, gender, and level of education are related to an individual’s income. Biologists can use the same type of model to understand the interplay between sunlight, rainfall, industrial runoff, and biodiversity in a rain forest. And using linear regression, educational researchers can develop powerful tools for understanding the role that different instructional strategies have on student achievement. In addition to providing a path by which various phenomena can be better understood, statistical models can also be used as predictive tools. For example, econometricians might develop models to predict labor market participation given a set of economic inputs. Higher education administrators may use similar types of models to predict grade point averages for prospective incoming freshmen to identify those who might need academic assistance during their first year of college.
