The Case for Being Automatic: Introducing the Automatic Linear Modeling (LINEAR) Procedure in SPSS Statistics

Abstract

This article reviews the new Automatic Linear Modeling (LINEAR) procedure in SPSS 21.0 and introduces it as a new analytical tool for researchers who regularly use linear regression. To that end, the article uses benchmark applications to examine two of its main features: 1) automatic data preparation and 2) automatic subset selection. Additionally, the article discusses limitations of the LINEAR procedure, ways to improve it, and the model ensemble capability of the procedure as a possible topic for future research. The article concludes with a summary of discussions.