piecewise regression

a variant on ordinary least squares regression in which a regression line consisting of several different lines is fitted to the data. The several pieces have different slopes and meet at nodal points to form a continuous line. This approach is very useful for identifying abrupt changes or discontinuities in a process. For example, piecewise regression might be appropriate when a researcher is studying a group of participants before treatment, during treatment, and after treatment. Also called segmented regression.

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Psychology term of the day

November 25th 2024

gender constancy

a child’s emerging sense of the permanence of being a boy or a girl, an understanding that occurs in a series of stages: gender identity, gender stability, and gender consistency.