c ontRibutions Commentary

Abstract

The coefficients that are associated with pathways in multiple regression, as well as more advanced methods based on regression, such as structural equationmodels, are central to the interpretations made by researchers. The complex of factors that influence these coefficients make interpretations tricky and nonintuitive at times. Very often, inappropriate inferencesare made for a variety of reasons. In this paperwe discuss several important issues that relate to the interpretation of regression and path coefficients. We begin with a consideration of multiple regression. Here we discuss the different types of coefficients that can be obtained and their interpretations, with our focus on the contrast between unstandardized and standardized coefficients. Structural equation modelingis used to show how models that better match the theoretical relations among variables can enhance interpretabilityand lead to quite different conclusions. Here we again emphasize often-ignored aspects of the use of standardized coefficients. An alternative means of standardization based on the ``relevant ranges'' of variables is discussed as a means of standardization that can enhance interpretability.