Within a factorial research design, whether and how one interprets main effects depends on the presence or absence of simple effects.

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In a factorial research design, the interpretation of main effects does not depend on the presence or absence of simple effects. Main effects are analyzed to understand the impact of each independent variable on the dependent variable, regardless of the levels of other factors. Simple effects, or interactions, are analyzed separately to understand how the effect of one independent variable on the dependent variable changes across the levels of another independent variable.

Within a Factorial Research Design, Whether and How One Interprets