Authors
Steven J Spencer, Mark P Zanna, Geoffrey T Fong
Publication date
2005/12
Journal
Journal of personality and social psychology
Volume
89
Issue
6
Pages
845
Publisher
American Psychological Association
Description
The authors propose that experiments that utilize mediational analyses as suggested by RM Baron and DA Kenny (1986) are overused and sometimes improperly held up as necessary for a good social psychological paper. The authors argue that when it is easy to manipulate and measure a proposed psychological process that a series of experiments that demonstrates the proposed causal chain is superior. They further argue that when it is easy to manipulate a proposed psychological process but difficult to measure it that designs that examine underlying process by utilizing moderation can be effective. It is only when measurement of a proposed psychological process is easy and manipulation of it is difficult that designs that rely on mediational analyses should be preferred, and even in these situations careful consideration should be given to the limiting factors of such designs.
Total citations
2006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024134462395478779894161143173169180199219224284165