Assessing Mediational Models: Testing and Interval Estimation for Indirect Effects

Autor/inn/en	Biesanz, Jeremy C.; Falk, Carl F.; Savalei, Victoria
Titel	Assessing Mediational Models: Testing and Interval Estimation for Indirect Effects
Quelle	In: Multivariate Behavioral Research, 45 (2010) 4, S.661-701 (41 Seiten) PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	0027-3171
Schlagwörter	Computation; Intervals; Models; Monte Carlo Methods; Markov Processes; Statistical Analysis; Error of Measurement; Bayesian Statistics + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Analogiemodell; Monte-Carlo-Methode; Markowscher Prozess; Statistische Analyse; Messfehler
Abstract	Theoretical models specifying indirect or mediated effects are common in the social sciences. An indirect effect exists when an independent variable's influence on the dependent variable is mediated through an intervening variable. Classic approaches to assessing such mediational hypotheses (Baron & Kenny, 1986; Sobel, 1982) have in recent years been supplemented by computationally intensive methods such as bootstrapping, the distribution of the product methods, and hierarchical Bayesian Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) methods. These different approaches for assessing mediation are illustrated using data from Dunn, Biesanz, Human, and Finn (2007). However, little is known about how these methods perform relative to each other, particularly in more challenging situations, such as with data that are incomplete and/or nonnormal. This article presents an extensive Monte Carlo simulation evaluating a host of approaches for assessing mediation. We examine Type I error rates, power, and coverage. We study normal and nonnormal data as well as complete and incomplete data. In addition, we adapt a method, recently proposed in statistical literature, that does not rely on confidence intervals (CIs) to test the null hypothesis of no indirect effect. The results suggest that the new inferential method--the partial posterior "p" value--slightly outperforms existing ones in terms of maintaining Type I error rates while maximizing power, especially with incomplete data. Among confidence interval approaches, the bias-corrected accelerated (BC[subscript a]) bootstrapping approach often has inflated Type I error rates and inconsistent coverage and is "not" recommended; In contrast, the bootstrapped percentile confidence interval and the hierarchical Bayesian MCMC method perform best overall, maintaining Type I error rates, exhibiting reasonable power, and producing stable and accurate coverage rates. (Contains 3 figures, 13 tables, and 7 footnotes.) (As Provided).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2017/4/10