A Note on the Behavior of Least Squares Regression Estimates When Both Variables Are Subject to Error

Clifford Spiegelman1

  • 1National Bureau of Standards, Washington, DC 20234.

Related Concept Videos

Residuals and Least-Squares Property01:11

Residuals and Least-Squares Property

The vertical distance between the actual value of y and the estimated value of y. In other words, it measures the vertical distance between the actual data point and the predicted point on the line
If the observed data point lies above the line, the residual is positive, and the line underestimates the actual data value for y. If the observed data point lies below the line, the residual is negative, and the line overestimates the actual data value for y.
The process of fitting the best-fit...
8.1K
Calibration Curves: Linear Least Squares01:20

Calibration Curves: Linear Least Squares

A calibration curve is a plot of the instrument's response against a series of known concentrations of a substance. This curve is used to set the instrument response levels, using the substance and its concentrations as standards. Alternatively, or additionally, an equation is fitted to the calibration curve plot and subsequently used to calculate the unknown concentrations of other samples reliably.
For data that follow a straight line, the standard method for fitting is the linear...
3.2K
Uncertainty in Measurement: Accuracy and Precision03:37

Uncertainty in Measurement: Accuracy and Precision

Scientists typically make repeated measurements of a quantity to ensure the quality of their findings and to evaluate both the precision and the accuracy of their results. Measurements are said to be precise if they yield very similar results when repeated in the same manner. A measurement is considered accurate if it yields a result that is very close to the true or the accepted value. Precise values agree with each other; accurate values agree with a true value. 
97.1K
Variation01:19

Variation

An important characteristic of any set of data is the variation in the data. In some data sets, the data values are concentrated closely near the mean; in other data sets, the data values are more widely spread out from the mean. The most common measure of variation, or spread, is the standard deviation, which is the square root of variance.
When independent and dependent variables are plotted on a scatter plot, the slope of a line is a value that describes the rate of change between the two...
7.4K
Random and Systematic Errors01:20

Random and Systematic Errors

Scientists always try their best to record measurements with the utmost accuracy and precision. However, sometimes errors do occur. These errors can be random or systematic. Random errors are observed due to the inconsistency or fluctuation in the measurement process, or variations in the quantity itself that is being measured. Such errors fluctuate from being greater than or less than the true value in repeated measurements. Consider a scientist measuring the length of an earthworm using a...
13.4K
Regression Analysis01:11

Regression Analysis

Regression analysis is a statistical tool that describes a mathematical relationship between a dependent variable and one or more independent variables.
In regression analysis, a regression equation is determined based on the line of best fit– a line that best fits the data points plotted in a graph. This line is also called the regression line. The algebraic equation for the regression line is called the regression equation. It is represented as:
6.5K