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I want to examine genderdifferences in three variables, and also an interaction effect. I am going to use ordinary least square regression, but i dont know if i should split the dataset by gender and do seperate regression analysis, and them compare the resualts for each one. The dataset is aproximentally equal for males and females, with a little over representation of females. Should i split the dataset in males and female and do separat analysis, or should i do one regression analysis as a whole?

user409562
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  • Simply include gender as a predictor in your regression or AN(C)OVA. (What exactly do you mean by "in three variables"?) – Stephan Kolassa Mar 19 '24 at 14:21
  • gender differences in self-perception, self-efficacy, and stress. And gender differences in how self-perception work as a moderating variabler for the effect of self-efficacy on stress. Which statistical method should i use? can i do only one regression analysis with inclusion of an interactioneffect, or should i split the dataset by gender and do separat analysis? – user409562 Mar 19 '24 at 14:29
  • Many similar questions here: https://stats.stackexchange.com/questions/373890/separate-models-vs-flags-in-the-same-model/373909#373909, https://stats.stackexchange.com/questions/33692/joint-model-with-interaction-terms-vs-separate-regressions-for-a-group-comparis?noredirect=1&lq=1, https://stats.stackexchange.com/questions/574854/separating-datasets-vs-one-dataset-with-extra-categorical-feature?noredirect=1&lq=1 and search this site. The last link above have many more links! – kjetil b halvorsen Mar 19 '24 at 15:27

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There are advantages and disadvantages of each approach.

If you do one analysis and include interactions then:

  1. You have only one output to look at.
  2. You can get parameter estimates, standard errors, p values and CIs for the interaction terms.
  3. You may have greater power, at least for the main effects, since you are using a larger data set.

On the other hand, if you subset the data and do separate analyses:

  1. You spare yourself the complications of interactions.
  2. You may be able to explain your output more easily, especially to people who are not statistically or mathematically very literate.
  3. You can use different models for the two subsets (men and women).

There are probably some other pros and cons that I am not thinking of right now.

Peter Flom
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  • Thank you! Could i for example split the dataset by gender, and then do one regression analysis for females, self-efficacy, self-perception, and stress, with the mentioned interaction term. And then one regression analysis for males, self -efficacy, self-perception and stress, with the interaction term. Or is it a better way to do it? – user409562 Mar 19 '24 at 14:33
  • @user409562 Interaction term between what and what? – Dave Mar 19 '24 at 14:38
  • self-perceptionas a moderating variable for the effect self-efficacy has on stress. – user409562 Mar 19 '24 at 14:40
  • Yes you can do that. You just won't be able to do any interactions with sex. (BTW, "male" and "female" are sexes, not genders). – Peter Flom Mar 19 '24 at 14:45
  • should i then analyze and compare the interaction term coeffiecients in both regression models (males and females) , to see the genderdifference in how sel-perception moderates the relationship between self-efficacy and stress? – user409562 Mar 19 '24 at 15:00
  • If you want to look at sex difference, you should run the single data set model with an interaction for sex – Peter Flom Mar 19 '24 at 16:22
  • I am going to examine sex differences in self-efficacy, self-perception and stress. Also i want to examine how self efficacy moderates the relationship between self-perception and stress, for both males and females. I was recommended to split the dataset by sex, and then do separate analysis. So could i then do one regression model for males with all the variables and the interaction, and one for females? Isnt it good to split the data by sex, when you are seeking for gender differences? – user409562 Mar 20 '24 at 14:01
  • No, it makes it impossible to get an estimate of those differences or their CI or SE – Peter Flom Mar 20 '24 at 15:53