S4E7: Mediation

Mediation models! At their core, mediation models explore the relations among three variables: A predictor, an outcome, and a secret third thing they call a Mediator. You’ve probably seen mediation models out there in the published literature, with folks testing paths, seeing if a relation is still there if a mediator is involved, or testing for an “indirect effect”. Jess and Sara talk about all of this in this episode. What is mediation, what kinds of questions can you ask with it, and why are people so mad about it? Jess and Sara go over the basics of this method, including a few examples, and talk a bit about the controversies surrounding it.  A link to Barron and Kenny’s Mediation paper  A link to MacKinnon’s paper on Mediation analysis  Some information on the PROCESS macros we mentioned.  A link to the paper Jess mentioned on reading and math language.  A link to the paper Sara mentioned on the home math environment.   Connect with the podcast on twitter @within_between, or email us letters about developmental science at [email protected]. More episodes and podcast information at WithinandBetweenPod.com. Follow Dr. Hart on twitter @Saraannhart Follow Dr. Logan on twitter @Jarlogan. Our theme music was composed by Jason Flowers. Our logo was created by Nathan Archer. Recorded May 13th, 2023.