Mediation analysis and conditional process models

Mediation analyses are widely used, especially in the social sciences, since Baron and Kenny’s hugely influential paper from 1986. However, the growing availability of computing power and advanced statistics programs in recent years has produced major improvements and modifications to the earlier procedures. This chapter orients researchers to the ways in which they may need to design their studies to take advantage of contemporary mediation tools. It also provides a foundation for understanding the underlying principles of conditional process models, confidence intervals, bootstrapping, and multiple mediation so that researchers will be equipped to run, communicate, and defend their analyses.