Interaction

The causes of behavior are many and varied. Factors (or variables) that affect behavior do not act in isolation; sometimes, the effect of one factor [Page 849]differs depending upon the value of another. In order to understand the factors influencing a behavior, it may be necessary to examine them in the context of other factors. Factors are said to interact with one another when the effects of one factor change depending on the value of another factor. For categorical factors, such as working at home versus in the office, the analysis often involves analysis of variance or chi-square test. For continuous variables, such as a personality score, the analysis is likely to involve either multiple linear regression or analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). To illustrate the ...