Alpha 2.0
Login Register
» Articles » PMID: 11523746

Equivalence of the Mediation, Confounding and Suppression Effect

Overview
Journal Prev Sci
Specialty Science
Date 2001 Aug 29
PMID 11523746
Citations 867
Authors
D P MacKinnon
J L Krull
C M Lockwood
Affiliations
Soon will be listed here.
Abstract

This paper describes the statistical similarities among mediation, confounding, and suppression. Each is quantified by measuring the change in the relationship between an independent and a dependent variable after adding a third variable to the analysis. Mediation and confounding are identical statistically and can be distinguished only on conceptual grounds. Methods to determine the confidence intervals for confounding and suppression effects are proposed based on methods developed for mediated effects. Although the statistical estimation of effects and standard errors is the same, there are important conceptual differences among the three types of effects.

Citing Articles

Causal inference of inflammatory proteins in infertility: a Mendelian randomization study.

Chen P, Ni S, Ou-Yang L Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2025; 16:1448530.

PMID: 40070583 PMC: 11893426. DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2025.1448530.

From genetic disposition to academic achievement: The mediating role of non-cognitive skills across development.

Zhou Q, Liao W, Allegrini A, Allegrini A, Rimfeld K, Wertz J bioRxiv. 2025; .

PMID: 40060469 PMC: 11888423. DOI: 10.1101/2025.02.27.640510.

The power of self-forgiveness: the dual impact of shame on creativity.

Ye T, Su H BMC Psychol. 2025; 13(1):203.

PMID: 40045405 PMC: 11884157. DOI: 10.1186/s40359-025-02532-3.

Decomposed interaction testing improves detection of genetic modifiers of the relationship of dietary omega-3 fatty acid intake and its plasma biomarkers with hsCRP in the UK Biobank.

Westerman K, Patel C, Meigs J, Chasman D, Manning A Genes Nutr. 2025; 20(1):3.

PMID: 40038624 PMC: 11881504. DOI: 10.1186/s12263-025-00765-w.

Quitting smoking after a cancer diagnosis is associated with reductions in stigma and anxiety: A longitudinal mediation analysis.

Williamson T, Park E, Warner E, Rasmussen A, Ostroff J Stigma Health. 2025; 10(1):73-82.

PMID: 40026684 PMC: 11867195. DOI: 10.1037/sah0000461.

References
1.
Goldberg L, Elliot D, Clarke G, MacKinnon D, Moe E, Zoref L . Effects of a multidimensional anabolic steroid prevention intervention. The Adolescents Training and Learning to Avoid Steroids (ATLAS) Program. JAMA. 1996; 276(19):1555-62. View
2.
MacCallum R, Wegener D, Uchino B, Fabrigar L . The problem of equivalent models in applications of covariance structure analysis. Psychol Bull. 1993; 114(1):185-99. DOI: 10.1037/0033-2909.114.1.185. View
3.
Hansen W . School-based substance abuse prevention: a review of the state of the art in curriculum, 1980-1990. Health Educ Res. 1992; 7(3):403-30. DOI: 10.1093/her/7.3.403. View
4.
Robins J . The control of confounding by intermediate variables. Stat Med. 1989; 8(6):679-701. DOI: 10.1002/sim.4780080608. View
5.
Robins J, Greenland S . Identifiability and exchangeability for direct and indirect effects. Epidemiology. 1992; 3(2):143-55. DOI: 10.1097/00001648-199203000-00013. View