MBA 650: Research and Statistics: Regression Analysis

Before you can run a linear regression between two variables, you must first determine which one is the independent variable and which one is the dependent variable. This will depend on the type of relationship that you want to explore:
For instance, you might want to know if there's a relationship between having a favorite brand of ice cream and being willing to drive out of the way to purchase that favorite brand of ice cream. In this example, the independent variable would be "I prefer one specific brand of ice cream over any other" [FavBrand], and the dependent variable would be "I would intentionally drive out of my way to purchase my favorite brand of ice cream" [DriveFavBrand].

"An independent variable is a measurable characteristic that influences or explains the dependent variable."
(Hair, Celsi, Money, Samouel, & Page, 2016, p. 142)

"A dependent variable is the variable you are trying to understand, explain, or predict."
(Hair, Celsi, Money, Samouel, & Page, 2016, p. 142)

In order to run a linear regression on your data, start by clicking on the Analyze menu option near the top of the SPSS screen, hover the mouse over Regression, and then click on Linear.

Add your dependent variable by selecting it from the list on the left-hand side of the Linear Regression pop-up window and then clicking the arrow beside the Dependent section. Add your independent variable by selecting it from the list and then clicking on the arrow beside the Independent(s) list.

Once your variables have been added, click on the Statistics button. Click on the checkboxes beside both Confidence intervals and Descriptives, and then click on the Continue button.

After clicking on the Plots button, click on the checkboxes beside both Histogram and Normal probability plot. Add the Y and X axes for your scatter plot by clicking on *ZRESID and then the arrow beside the Y axis; then click on *ZPRED before clicking on the arrow beside the X axis. Click on the Continue button.

When you click on the OK button in the Linear Regression pop-up window, SPSS will generate your linear regression analysis.
Remember to keep in mind that the dataset used in these examples has been randomly generated, so your analysis might look quite different.