How to Report Regression Results in APA Style (SPSS Output Explained)

SPSS gives you three main tables for linear regression: Model Summary, ANOVA and Coefficients. Here is what each number means and how to write it up.

1. Model Summary

• R — the correlation between predicted and actual values.
• R² — the proportion of variance in the dependent variable explained by the model. R² = .32 means the predictors explain 32% of the variance.
• Adjusted R² — R² corrected for the number of predictors; report it for multiple regression.

2. ANOVA table

Tests whether the model as a whole is significant. Report F (df regression, df residual) and p, for example F(1, 248) = 116.70, p < .001.

3. Coefficients table

• B — unstandardised coefficient: change in Y for a one-unit increase in X.
• β (Beta) — standardised coefficient: lets you compare predictors’ strength.
• t and Sig. (p) — whether each predictor is significant.

APA example paragraph

A simple linear regression was conducted to examine whether social support predicts perceived stress among nurses. The model was significant, F(1, 248) = 116.70, p < .001, and explained 32% of the variance in perceived stress (R² = .32). Social support negatively predicted perceived stress, β = −.57, t(248) = −10.80, p < .001, indicating that nurses with higher social support reported lower stress.

APA table layout

Note: the numbers above are an illustration. Use your own output values.

APA formatting rules to remember

• Italicise statistical symbols: F, t, p, R², B, SE.
• No leading zero for values that cannot exceed 1: p = .032, β = .45, R² = .32.
• Report exact p values to two or three decimals; use p < .001 for very small values.
• Round most statistics to two decimals.

Multiple regression

Report the overall model first (F, p, adjusted R²), then each predictor’s β, t and p. Mention multicollinearity checks (VIF below about 5–10, tolerance above .10) in the assumptions section.

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