the multiplicative constant in a regression analysis that indicates the change in an outcome variable associated with the change in a predictor variable after each has been standardized to have a distribution with a mean of 0 and a standard deviation of 1. A beta coefficient controls for the effect of other predictors included in the analysis and thus allows for direct comparison of the individual variables despite differences in measurement scales (e.g., salary measured in dollars and educational degree measured in years of schooling). Also called beta weight.