alleryStart learning →A pattern left in a residuals plot suggests that:
AA straight line fits poorly
BThe data were mis-typed
CThe sample was too large
DThe variables are swapped
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: A. A straight line fits poorly
1. Residuals are what the line failed to explain.
2. If the line has captured the relationship, what is left over should be noise.
3. A residuals plot should appear random, with no pattern and no outliers.
4. Structure remaining in the residuals is therefore a sign the straight-line model is inadequate.
_Source: OpenStax Introductory Statistics 2e (CC BY 4.0), Ch 12 'Linear Regression and Correlation', sections 12.1-12.6_
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