coefficient of determination

n. The coefficient of determination, a statistical term used by psychologists, is the percentage of variance accounted for in a variable of interest, also known as the criterion variable. The coefficient of determination represents the percentage of explained variance in proportion to the total amount of variance in the criterion variable. This is the percentage of total variation in the criterion variable that can be predicted by knowing the value of the other variable or variables in the equation. Also known as "r squared," the coefficient of determination is computed by squaring the simple correlation between two variables (r) or by squaring the multiple correlation (R) from a regression analysis of a criterion (dependent) variable onto more than one independent variable. Because the coefficient of determination is a squared version of the correlation coefficient, and because correlation coefficients range in value from —1 to +1, the coefficient of determination ranges in value from 0 (0%) to 1 (100%).

- MWP