mediated

Mediated is the past participle of the verb mediate, and is used as an adjective to describe something accomplished through an intermediary or mechanism. It can refer to processes that involve a mediator, tool, medium, or other intermediary rather than acting directly between parties or elements.

In communication and media studies, mediated communication denotes messages transmitted through a channel such as print, broadcast, or digital platforms. The medium itself can shape the content, accessibility, and interpretation of messages by introducing constraints, opportunities, and biases.

In the social sciences and pedagogy, mediation describes how tools, norms, institutions, or cultural artifacts influence actions and outcomes. The concept is central to theories of cultural-historical psychology, where learning and development are mediated by signs and instruments, and to analyses of social structure on behavior.

In biology and biochemistry, signaling and biochemical reactions are described as mediated when a molecule, receptor, enzyme, or second messenger transmits the effect between initiator and response. Examples include receptor-mediated signaling and cytokine-mediated immune responses.

In dispute resolution and law, mediation refers to a process in which a neutral third party facilitates dialogue and negotiation to help conflicting parties reach a voluntary agreement. When actions or effects are described as mediated, the mediator plays the intermediary role rather than the direct actors.

The term derives from Latin medius meaning middle and is used across disciplines to denote an intermediary route or mechanism. Mediated can be contrasted with direct or unmediated processes.