A primer on multilevel mediation models for egocentric social network data

Author(s)
Hyunjin Song
Abstract

The substantial increase in nested data such as egocentric network data pose unique challenges to researchers, including how to adequately model the mechanisms and processes in which hypothesized effects operates within the complex interdependencies among social actors. While there is a growing interest in identifying the causal mechanisms and their contingencies using such nested structured data, the direct application of principles of (moderated) mediation analysis within traditional multilevel modeling framework is ambiguous and controversial. In this article, I provide a tutorial illustrating an approach to assessing mediation hypotheses based on path-analytic framework popularized by Hayes (2013). Focusing on estimation and inference of indirect effects with regard to nested data structure, I provide examples of the analysis within the context of egocentric network data, and illustrate implementation using Mplus software.

Organisation(s)
Department of Communication
Journal
Communication Methods & Measures
Volume
12
Pages
1-24
No. of pages
24
ISSN
1931-2458
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1080/19312458.2017.1416343
Publication date
2018
Peer reviewed
Yes
Austrian Fields of Science 2012
508007 Communication science
Keywords
ASJC Scopus subject areas
Communication
Portal url
https://ucris.univie.ac.at/portal/en/publications/a-primer-on-multilevel-mediation-models-for-egocentric-social-network-data(20141b29-b8c3-42e1-9339-4af21ec89422).html