{"title":"Exploring the “Fourth Drawback”: Overlap Between Mediator and Criterion in Mediation Analysis","authors":"Norbert L. Kerr","doi":"10.1177/10464964241264024","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"In mediation analyses, several assumptions are routinely made. One such assumption is that the mediator and criterion variables are distinct, and not essentially the same variable with overlapping content. When this assumption is strongly violated, traditional mediation analysis is likely to falsely indicate that mediation has occurred. Spencer et al. refer to this as the “fourth drawback” of mediation analysis. It is argued here that this fourth drawback is not confined to cases of nearly complete overlap between mediator and criterion; mediation may often be falsely inferred when such overlap is partial. The results of a series of simulation studies are reported that corroborate this conclusion. Some potential responses to the risks of the fourth drawback are discussed.","PeriodicalId":47912,"journal":{"name":"Small Group Research","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.0000,"publicationDate":"2024-07-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Small Group Research","FirstCategoryId":"102","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1177/10464964241264024","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"MANAGEMENT","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
In mediation analyses, several assumptions are routinely made. One such assumption is that the mediator and criterion variables are distinct, and not essentially the same variable with overlapping content. When this assumption is strongly violated, traditional mediation analysis is likely to falsely indicate that mediation has occurred. Spencer et al. refer to this as the “fourth drawback” of mediation analysis. It is argued here that this fourth drawback is not confined to cases of nearly complete overlap between mediator and criterion; mediation may often be falsely inferred when such overlap is partial. The results of a series of simulation studies are reported that corroborate this conclusion. Some potential responses to the risks of the fourth drawback are discussed.
期刊介绍:
Policy: Small Group Research is an international and interdisciplinary journal presenting research, theoretical advancements, and empirically supported applications with respect to all types of small groups. Through advancing the systematic study of small groups, this journal seeks to increase communication among all who are professionally interested in group phenomena.