Direct, indirect and residual effects through path analysis using the microsoft office excel

Abstract

Generally the contribution of causal variables to a targeted effect variable directly and indirectly through other variables has always been the layer that researchers seldom examine. Path analysis method may be a natural extension to regression analysis where researchers may be able to quantitatively examine the direct contributions to the effect variable and the indirect effects through other variable to the effect variable. There we try to use easy steps for calculating direct and indirect effect of path analysis. For this purpose we have used the secondary data of maize yield production area and minimum support price (msp) and annual rainfall for the Surguja district of Chhattisgarh. Taking yield as a dependent variable and annual rainfall msp area production and seed replacement rate as an independent variables. In this study to take decision support tool that helps researchers determine the contribution of each variable to the effect and each variable via other variables to that effect. In these study we used a step by step approach to doing path analysis using the Microsoft office Excel software a tool most common to PC's based on Microsoft windows operating systems and its users.