Interpreting parameters of dynamic regression models

With the growth of the dynamic paradigm in psychological science, the use of dynamic regression models to answer questions about how specific contexts or experimental conditions influence the psychological process over time has become popular. Although these methods provide unique opportunities to uncover the dynamics which drive psychological processes, the parameters of these dynamic regression models can be difficult to interpret. In this paper, we use the theory of system responses to elucidate how popular dynamic regression models differ in the dynamics they imply. Crucially, this theory allows us to reason about complicated dynamic models qualitatively, without requiring a technical background. We exemplify the opportunities of system response analysis by reanalyzing data from an experience sampling study. Finally, the manuscript introduces the R package impulseR, which provides researchers with a user-friendly toolbox for interpreting dynamic regression models or the results of a dynamic regression analysis.