Curvilinear Regression Curvilinear regression is the name given to any regression model that attempts to fit a curve as opposed to a straight line.Common examples of curvilinear regression models include:
Quadratic Regression: Used when a quadratic relationship exists between a predictor variable and a response variable. When graphed, this type of relationship looks like a “U” or an upside-down “U” on a scatterplot:
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Cubic Regression: Used when a cubic relationship exists between a predictor variable and a response variable. When graphed, this type of relationship has two distinct curves on a scatterplot:
These are both in contrast to simple linear regression in which the relationship between the predictor variable and the response variable is linear:
The Formula of Curvilinear Regression Models
When to Use Curvilinear Regression
The easiest way to know whether or not you should use curvilinear regression is to create a scatterplot of the predictor variable and response variable.
If the scatterplot displays a linear relationship between the two variables, then simple linear regression is likely appropriate to use.
However, if the scatterplot shows a quadratic, cubic, or some other curvilinear pattern between the predictor and response variable, then curvilinear regression is likely more appropriate to use.
You can also fit a simple linear regression model and a curvilinear regression model and compare the adjusted R-squared values of each model to determine which model offers a better fit to the data.
The adjusted R-squared is useful because it tells you the proportion of the variance in the response variable that can be explained by the predictor variable(s), adjusted for the number of predictor variables in the model.
In general, the model with the higher adjusted R-squared value offers a better fit to the dataset.
Summary Linear regression analysis is used to predict the value of a variable based on the value of another variable. The variable you want to predict is called the dependent variable. The variable you are using to predict the other variable's value is called the independent variable. Curvilinear regression is the name given to any regression model that attempts to fit a curve as opposed to a straight line. Common examples of curvilinear regression models include: Quadratic Regression: Used when a quadratic relationship exists between a predictor variable and a response variable. When we have nonlinear relations, we often assume an intrinsically linear model and then we fit data to the model using polynomial regression. That is, we employ some models that use regression to fit curves instead of straight lines. The technique is known as curvilinear regression analysis. To use curvilinear regression analysis, we test several polynomial regression equations. Polynomial equations are formed by taking our independent variable to successive powers. For example, we could have