An Alternative Framework for Non-Experimental Cross Sectional Mediation Studies: Associational Variable Analysis

Despite strong evidence of its logical and empirical problems, there remains a veritable eruption of mediational studies using non-experimental, cross sectional data (NECSD). At best, such studies can say little about true mediation and at worse create an inaccurate picture of the conclusions from the data. This paper overviews reasons to no longer frame NECSD studies as mediational and articulates reasons why it may continue despite solid reasons to stop. Associational variable analysis is introduced as an alternative framework to help articulate a more accurate depiction of findings. Articulation of the steps and examples of conducing the steps and framing findings is provided from an empirical data set. Associational variable analysis is an alternative conceptual framework drawing on the analytic techniques developed for mediation but provides a more accurate framework for the articulation of findings from NECSD studies with mediational type goals.