Regression

• Regression (psychology): a defensive reaction to some unaccepted impulses
• Regression analysis: a statistical technique for estimating the relationships among variables.

Multiple regressions have occurred in this longitudinal study. I mark the predictor variables' impact on this hard to quantify phenomenon:

a balmy Sunday afternoon, an intermittent breeze, the hum of a passing airplane, bird song in the abundant spring trees, and the faceless neighbors' (N=3) conversations on the other side of the wooden fence. As you pick weeds in our landlord's backyard, I sit on the deck at my laptop, searching for p values.

All subjects hear the distant sound of a train's whistle. You raised your head up from the weeds, faced the direction of the slow, sad sound. The female adult neighbor says, "Choo-Choo". The child responds, "Choo-Choo, Da Da". The male adult replies, "Choo-Choo... that's right."

You didn't turn to look at me, just bent over again, resuming your chore. Had our eyes met, we both would have shattered, scattered into the wind, into others' lives like the slow, sad train whistle. After a few minutes, you walked inside, shut the door behind you. I felt the unaccepted impulses to run, scream, cry, vomit....swear, apologize, lie, and promise. Heartbreak is still non-quantifiable.

The faceless neighbors' variables correlated well in their own longitudinal study. They have the vows, the house, and... the baby girl. We only have defensive reactions to our unaccepted impulses and mine are still in a constant dialectical drama. In our longitudinal study, I am responsible for 90% of our variance, but in today's snapshot...

"Choo-Choo, Da Da"
has the greatest impact on the non-observable, still non-quantifiable phenomenon known as heartbreak.
"Choo-Choo, Da Da"
is the strongest with Beta values that force us completely off the tracks.