What is the Difference between Using MR for Prediction versus Using MR for Explanation?
When one uses MR for explanatory purposes, that person is exploring relationships between multiple variables in a sample to shed light on a phenomenon, with a goal of generalizing this new understanding to a population. When one uses MR for prediction, one is using a sample to create a regression equation that would optimally predict a particular phenomenon within a particular population. Here the goal is to use the equation to predict outcomes for individuals not in the sample used in the analysis. Hypothetically, researchers might create a regression equation to predict twelfth-grade achievement test scores from eighth-grade variables, such as family socioeconomic status, race, sex, educational plans, parental education, GPA, and participation in school-based extracurricular activities. The goal is not to understand why students achieve at a certain level, but to create the best equation so that, for example, guidance counselors could predict future achievement scores for their stude
