General linear model

Okay kiddo, so the general linear model is a way to see how different things are related to each other. Imagine you have a bunch of toys and you want to know which ones you like the most. You might think that the toys you like the most are the ones that are the brightest or the softest. The general linear model helps you figure out which of these things, like brightness or softness, are the most important for making you happy with your toys.

To use the general linear model, you need to pick something that you want to study, like how many kids are absent from school on a certain day. Then, you think about lots of different things that might be related to that, like where the school is located or what the weather is like. You can use the general linear model to figure out which of these things is the most important for predicting how many kids will be absent.

The general linear model does this by looking at all the things you're interested in, like where the school is or what the weather is like, and figuring out how much they each contribute to the thing you're trying to study, like how many kids are absent. It takes all of these different factors, or variables, and puts them together in a big equation to help you predict the outcome you're interested in.

So there you go, the general linear model is a way to figure out what things are important for predicting something you're interested in, like who will win a race or what toys you like the most!