The moderator-mediator variable distinction in social psychological research: conceptual, strategic, and statistical considerations

Abstract

journal of pe~nality and social psychology 1986, vol. 51, no. 6, 1173-1182 copyright 1986 by the american psychological association, inc. 0022-3514/86/$00.75 the moderator-mediator variable distinction in social psychological research: conceptual, strategic, and statistical considerations r e u b e n m . b a r o n a n d d a v i d a . k e n n y university of connecticut in this article, we attempt to distinguish between the properties of moderator and mediator variables at a number of levels. first, we seek to make theorists and researchers aware of the importance of not using the terms moderator and mediator interchangeably by carefully elaborating, both concep- tually and strategically, the many ways in which moderators and mediators differ. we then go beyond this largely pedagogical function and delineate the conceptual and strategic implications of making use of such distinctions with regard to a wide range of phenomena, including control and stress, attitudes, and personality traits. we also provide a specific compendium of analytic procedures ap- propriate for making the most effective use of the moderator and mediator distinction, both sepa- rately and in terms of a broader causal system that includes both moderators and mediators. the purpose of this analysis is to distinguish between the properties of moderator and mediator variables in such a way as to clarify the different ways in which conceptual variables may account for differences in peoples' behavior. …

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