polkuanalyysejä

Polkuanalyysi, or path analysis in English, is a statistical technique used to examine the causal relationships among a set of variables. It is a specific type of regression analysis that allows researchers to test hypothesized causal models. The core idea of path analysis is to decompose the total effect of an independent variable on a dependent variable into direct and indirect effects. A direct effect is the influence of an independent variable on a dependent variable that is not mediated by other variables. An indirect effect occurs when an independent variable influences a dependent variable through one or more intermediate or mediating variables.

Path analysis is represented graphically by a path diagram, where variables are depicted as circles or boxes, and hypothesized causal relationships are shown as directed arrows. The strength of these relationships is estimated using regression coefficients. The technique requires that the relationships between variables are linear and that the errors are uncorrelated. It is important to note that path analysis establishes the strength and direction of associations, but it does not definitively prove causality. Causality is a theoretical construct that must be established through the research design and the researcher's interpretation of the findings, considering the temporal order of variables and ruling out alternative explanations. Path analysis is a valuable tool for theory testing and understanding complex relationships in fields such as psychology, sociology, and education.