ARCHIVED: In SPSS, how do I use the log of the dependent variable in a regression analysis?

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To use the log of a dependent variable in a regression analysis, first create the log transformation using the COMPUTE command and the LN() function. Then specify the new variable in the regression model.

Suppose y is the original dependent variable and x is your independent variable. In the following example, ln_y is the name given to the new variable:

  COMPUTE ln_y=LN(y).
  REGRESSION
   /DEPENDENT=ln_y
   /ENTER=x.

If you wish to compute the base 10 logarithm of a variable, use the function LG10() instead of LN().

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