MEANING
Tendency for an extreme measurement to be followed by one nearer the average because random variation partly shapes the first.
Use it for
Use when unusually high or low measurements tend to be followed by more average values.Separate ordinary fluctuation after an extreme score from a genuine treatment effect.
Words that belong together
- regression to the mean in repeated measures
- observe regression toward the mean
- regression-to-the-mean effect
On the page
After his unusually high score, his next result moved closer to average through regression to the mean.
Word forms
- Base
- regression to the mean
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Usage notes
An extreme result may be followed by a less extreme one through variation alone; this is not proof that an intervention caused change.
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