The least-squares regression line is the line that minimizes:
A)the explained variation
B)SSyy
C)total variation
D)SSxx
E)SSE

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The least-squares regression line is the line that minimizes the sum of squared errors (SSE), which is the difference between the observed values and the predicted values. Therefore, the correct choice is E. The explained variation (A) and SSyy (B) are measures of the variance explained by the regression line, but they do not directly minimize the error. Total variation (C) and SSxx (D) are not minimized by the regression line, but rather by the mean or the grand mean.

The Least-Squares Regression Line Is the Line That Minimizes