välittäjämuuttuja

Välittäjämuuttuja, often translated as mediator variable or intermediary variable, is a concept used in research, particularly in statistics and social sciences, to explain the relationship between an independent variable and a dependent variable. It is a variable that intervenes in the causal pathway between two other variables. Instead of the independent variable directly influencing the dependent variable, it first affects the mediator, which then, in turn, affects the dependent variable.

The presence of a mediator variable helps to clarify the mechanism through which an effect occurs. It answers the question "how" or "why" the independent variable leads to the observed outcome. For example, if an independent variable is education level and a dependent variable is income, a mediator variable could be job skill acquisition. Higher education leads to better job skills, which then leads to higher income.

Identifying and analyzing mediator variables is crucial for a deeper understanding of complex relationships. It allows researchers to move beyond simply observing a correlation and to propose and test causal pathways. Statistical techniques such as regression analysis and structural equation modeling are commonly employed to examine the mediating role of a variable. It's important to distinguish a mediator from a moderator variable, which influences the strength or direction of the relationship between an independent and dependent variable, rather than being part of the causal chain itself.