Mediator And Moderator Variables

Mediator and moderator variables
A major concern in the field of research is to obtain an adequate sample that represents the population in which the researcher has focused to generalize. Another concerning issue of sampling unique in correlation studies is whether the relationship between determined number of paired variables is the same in all sectors of the population. If researchers suspect that there are differences, they can draw samples of subgroups separately. For example, if the researcher suspects that age presents a different relationship between two variables, either by strength or direction, then separating the groups by ages should be selected and conduct separate correlation analysis for each of them. In the previous example,

Mediators provide additional information about how and why two variables are closely associated. It is important to emphasize, that the association may be either positive or negative. On the other hand, moderators are quantitative (e.g., sex, age, race) or qualitative variables (running endurance, health level, etc.) that affect the direction and strength of the relationship between the IV and DP. In other words, moderators explain the reasons that might cause a weak or vague association between the IV and the DP that were expected to have a strong correlation, (Baron & Kenny, 1986; Bennett, 2000).

Mediators and moderators are variables that affect the association between the independent variable (predictor) and dependent variable (outcome), (Bennett, 2000; Grande 2015). In research design studies, these variables are often ignored, or the terms might be used incorrectly. This short paper aims to provide examples of potential mediators and moderators variables on a set of various scenarios.
Examples of research

High levels of parental reading are associated with faster cognitive development in young children. In other words, children who are read to more by their parents show faster cognitive development than children who are read to less often (National Scientific Council on the Developing Child, 2007).
• Potential mediator: Parents with a higher education. Parents with a higher level education my help to explain why there is a correlation between parents who read more to their children and faster cognitive development in those children.
• Potential moderator: Parents ethnicity. Hispanic parents may read less to their children; while White parents may read more stories at night to their children. People from different ethnic backgrounds may act differently to a situation that people from other ethnicities.
3. The experience of being socially excluded leads to increases in aggressive behavior. Research has found that when people are excluded by others, they are more likely to behave aggressively, even to people who did not initially exclude them (Twenge, Baumeister, Tice, & Stucke, 2001).
• Potential mediator: The continued exclusion of different groups. This may be a possible mediator and that there may be a correlation between the number of exclusions and increase aggressiveness on