Simple linear regression is an effort to explain the dynamics within a scatter plot by drawing a straight line through the plotted scores. No single regression line can be used to predict with...

Simple linear regression is an effort to explain the dynamics within a scatter plot by drawing a straight line through the plotted scores. No single regression line can be used to predict with com-plete accuracy everyy value from everyx value. However, the purpose of the regression equation is to develop the line to allow the highest degree of prediction possible, the line of best fit. The procedure for developing the line of best fit is the method of least squares. If the data were perfectly corre-lated, all data points would fall along the straight line or line of best fit. However, not all data points fall on the line of best fit in studies, but the line of best fit provides the best equation for the values ofy to be predicted by locating the intersection of points on the line for any given value of x.