3.2 Reading

Reference

Baron, R. M. & Kenny, D. A. (1986). The moderator-mediator variable distinction in social psychological research: Conceptual, strategic, and statistical Considerations. Journal of Personality and Individual Differences, 51(6), 1173–1182

Questions

1. What is mediation? Give an example of mediation.
2. According to the authors, we must satisfy four criteria to infer mediation. What are these criteria?
3. What is “moderation”, and how is it different from “mediation”?
4. Give an example of moderation.
5. What are the four methods given by Baron and Kenny as suitable ways to to study interaction effects?
   
6. The authors suggest that one of the most common ways to address unreliability is to use multiple indicators. Thinking back to what you’ve learned about factor analysis, briefly explain why multiple indicators can improve reliability.
7. How can you determine whether a variable is a mediator or moderator?

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Reference

Hayes, A. F. (2009). Beyond Baron and Kenny: Statistical mediation analysis in the new millennium. Communication Monographs, 76(4), 408–420.

Questions

1. What is an indirect or mediated effect?
2. What is the difference between the total and direct effect?
3. What is the main problem with the Barron & Kenny “Causal Steps Approach”?
4. What is bootstrapping, and why is it a better way to test mediation than Sobel’s test?
5. Explain how it is possible that “effects that don’t exist can be mediated”.