Meaning and Definitions of Regression

The dictionary meaning of regression is just opposite the meaning of progression. Progression means to move forward while regression means to move backward going back. Or the return to the mean value. The erm Regression was first used by sir Francis Galton   in1877 in a study paper titled Regression toward Mediocrity in Hereditary Statue. In this paper he analysed the relationship between tjhe height of fathers and their sons. The sir galton   of correlation between theheight of fathers and sons was0.8.He noted in the above study that if the average height of a certain set of fathers is x cm. Above the general average. Thus there was a tendency or move average .Thus there was a tendency or move toward mediocrity. Galton described the average relationship between the height of father and their sons as the line of regression.

Regression is used to establish relationship between two sets of related variables. The important definitions given by prominent  writers are as given below .

Regression is the measure   of average relationship between two or more variables in terms of the original   units of the data.

It  is often more  important to f find out what  the relationship  actually is, in order to estimate or predict one variable  and the statistical  technique  appropriate  to such a case is called  regression analysis.            M. M .Blair

One of the frequently used technique   in economics and business research   to find a relation between two or more variable that are  related causally, is regression are related.                                                            Taro Yamana

From the above definitions it may be concluded that regression analysis is a mathematical measure of the average relationship between a series of two or more variable in terms of the original units of data under study. It is used to predict the value of one variable on the basis of other variable.