An interaction plot displays response means against levels of one factor, with separate lines for levels of another and optional panels for further factors. In an additive linear regression, the difference between two lines is constant across the horizontal factor, so the population-mean lines are parallel. Changing line separations or crossings show a statistical interaction on that response scale. Sample means may be nonparallel through noise, so the plot describes the effect pattern rather than replacing a formal hypothesis test.
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