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50 – Methodological Developments and Implications for Social Scientists
A Reparametrized Linear Model That Parses Qualitative and Quantitative Characteristics of a Set of Predictors
Ernest C. Davenport
University of Minnesota
The following study shows how a reparameterization of the general linear model for regular regression can serve to quantify qualitative aspects of predictors. It uses data from the High School Longitudinal Study of 2009 on mathematics course-taking and achievement as an example. Results show that all mathematics courses are not equally predictive of math achievement. Thus, taking into account qualitative aspects of mathematics courses is useful. The study ends with a justification of quantifying qualitative aspects of predictors relative to a criterion with extensions to other linear models.