Methodenwoche of the GGG

Workshop 1: Introduction to Mediation Analysis

lecturer: Prof. Dr. Carsten Leo Demming (DHBW Heilbronn)
target group: beginners
language: English
location: online
times: Sep 6-9 (each day: 9:00 - 15:30)

content:
Researchers in business and social sciences frequently need to enrich their understanding of a focal causal relationship by examining its underlying mechanism. Mediation analysis helps to explain such mechanisms that underlie an observed relationship between an independent variable and a dependent variable via the inclusion of a third variable, known as a mediator. The main purpose of this workshop is to provide an overview of what mediation analysis means and how to conduct mediation analysis with the state-of-the-art methodology. In the first part of the workshop we review conceptual considerations of mediation for the most commonly used mediation model groups. We further briefly discuss the suitability of different mediation analysis approaches, focusing on the bootstrapping approach. The second part of the workshop is organized as a tutorial. Based on examples from the marketing field, we illustrate how to specify, estimate, and interpret mediation simple and more complex mediation models with a tool for SPSS called PROCESS.

required reading:

  • Demming, C. L., Jahn, S., & Boztuğ, Y. (2017). Conducting mediation analysis in marketing research. Marketing: ZFP–Journal of Research and Management, 39(3), 76-93.
  • Hayes, A. F. (2017). Introduction to mediation, moderation, and conditional process analysis: A regression-based approach. Guilford publications.
  • Preacher, K. J., & Hayes, A. F. (2004). SPSS and SAS procedures for estimating indirect effects in simple mediation models. Behavior Research Methods, Instruments, & Computers, 36(4), 717-731.
  • Zhao, X., Lynch Jr, J. G., & Chen, Q. (2010). Reconsidering Baron and Kenny: Myths and truths about mediation analysis. Journal of Consumer Research, 37(2), 197-206.



course requirements (2 credits):
read literature prior to the workshop, active participation, brief essay after the workshop
The essay will be due on Oct 29, 2021.