Journal of Educational Measurement

Fall 2014, Vol. 51, No. 3, pp. 335337

Book Review
Hayes, Andrew F. (2013). Introduction to Mediation, Moderation, and Conditional
Process Analysis: A Regression-Based Approach. New York, NY: The Guilford Press
Reviewed by
Jocelyn H. Bolin
Ball State University
Regression-based analyses remain some of the most widely employed statistical
approaches throughout research and scholarly work. It is remarkable that with the
same simple OLS multiple regression model, such a rich variety of research questions may be addressed, ranging from simple questions of prediction and explanation
to the more complex questions such as modeling mediated or moderated relationships or even modeling of moderated mediation analyses. Hayess Introduction to
Mediation, Moderation, and Conditional Process Analysis: A Regression-Based Approach presents a journey through regression-based approaches beginning with the
most simple regression approaches (correlation and simple linear regression), continuing through traditional uses of regression for mediation and moderation analysis, and culminating in a discussion of conditional process analysis: a method for
combining mediation and moderation into one singular analysis. The book is very
readable and conversational, providing many interesting and useful examples, which
will be of interest to the intermediate to advanced regression user.

Part I. Fundamental Concepts

Chapter 1 provides an introduction and attempts to orient the reader to the types
of questions and thinking regression analysis addresses. In particular, Hayes draws
attention to questions of whether, if, how, and when and the notion that just establishing an association between variables does not necessarily translate to a deep understanding of these questions. The chapter then goes on to briefly introduce mediation,
moderation, and conditional process analysis. The chapter concludes with a discussion of correlation, causation, and the limitations and conditions under which causal
inferences may be made. Hayes sums this point up quite nicely as follows: Causality is the cinnamon bun of social science. It is a sticky concept, and establishing that
a sequence of events is a causal one can be a messy undertaking.
Chapter 2 provides a quick but thorough presentation of simple linear regression.
Topics covered begin with simple Pearson correlation then progress through the presentation of the simple linear regression equation, explanation of the ordinary least
squares regression criteria, model fit and coefficient interpretation, assumptions, and
statistical inference in regression analysis. This discussion is then expanded in Chapter 3 when multiple regression is considered. Hayes ends Chapter 3 by introducing
statistical diagrams and the concepts of consequent and antecedent variables. This
c 2014 by the National Council on Measurement in Education
Copyright 

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Book Review

discussion and visual representation help provide a framework for the more complex
regression applications covered in the remainder of the book.
Part II. Mediation
Chapter 4 introduces the simple mediation model. A nice conceptual discussion
of the meaning and causal implications of mediation models is presented followed
by an explanation of direct, indirect, and total effects. Hayes then goes on to discuss
statistical inference in mediation and compares methods such as the Sobel test and
use of bootstrapped confidence intervals. Throughout the text, examples are given
using SPSS. As much content related to mediation analysis is not available through
SPSS, Hayes suggests use of special add-ons or macros that may be of use, such
as SOBEL (Preacher & Hayes, 2004), INDIRECT (Preacher & Hayes, 2008), or
PROCESS that is included in the appendix for this book.
Chapter 5 expands upon the simple mediation model by discussing estimation of
models using multiple mediators. In this chapter, Hayes presents the parallel multiple
mediator model and the serial multiple mediator model and for each model shows a
statistical diagram, explains model estimation, and goes through a complete example
using the PROCESS macro in SPSS. Chapter 5 ends with a discussion of competition
among mediators and explanations for potential paradoxical effects and a discussion
of the merits of OLS regression versus structural equation modeling methods for
mediation estimation.
Chapter 6 closes out the discussion of mediation by presenting miscellaneous issues related to mediation. Examples of topics include but are not limited to a discussion of the famous Baron and Kenny method for mediation, critiquing the ideas
of complete and partial mediation, effect size in mediation, and suggested reporting
guidelines.
Part III. Moderation Analysis
Chapter 7 presents the fundamentals of moderation analysis focusing on estimation and interpretation of moderation models. Of particular interest are the discussions on variable rescaling and model visualization. Hayes also presents the PROCESS macro for SPSS as a tool for both visualization and rescaling in mediation
models. Chapter 8 extends the discussion on moderation focusing more specifically
on different types of moderators (dichotomous, or quantitative) and provides a discussion of the use of hierarchical entry with moderators. The chapter ends by demonstrating the equivalence of moderated regression analysis and 22 factorial ANOVA.
Hayes rounds out the discussion on moderation in Chapter 9 with miscellaneous
topics in moderation. These topics include but are not limited to mean centering
and multicollinearity in moderation designs, artificial categorization of continuous
variables, and use of multiple moderators in a single regression.
Part IV. Conditional Process Analysis
The final three chapters develop a relatively new strategy for incorporating moderation and mediation into a single integrated model. This model, termed conditional process analysis, is first introduced by Hayes through use of already existing
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Book Review

examples in the literature. Once introduced, Hayes presents the idea of moderated
direct and indirect effects with more rigor, including methods interpretation, statistical inference, and model estimation using the PROCESS macro. In order to further
illustrate this model, all of Chapter 11 is devoted to varied examples showcasing
different conditional process structures.
Chapter 12 concludes the discussion of conditional process analysis like the previous sections, with a miscellaneous topics chapter. Of particular interest here is a
suggested step-by-step strategy for approaching conditional process analysis. Also
discussed are the question of whether a mediator can also be a moderator and how to
best write about conditional process modeling.
Concluding Comments
I found this to be a very nice book that is readable enough for the intermediate
statistics user but with enough technical detail to appeal to advanced users as well.
The first three sections provide a thorough presentation of regression analysis and its
use in answering questions of mediation and moderation. The inclusion of helpful
SPSS macros and SAS programs for better estimation of these models is a very
attractive quality. To this end, Hayes includes an appendix with detailed information
on the PROCESS macro, estimation of Monte Carlo confidence intervals in SPSS
and SAS, and a collection of conceptual diagrams to help describe mediation and
moderation designs. The final section on conditional process analysis is illuminating
and thought-provoking, and for the reader unfamiliar with these topics will definitely
peak interest.
This book would make an excellent textbook for an advanced graduate-level multiple regression course, or just a great resource for the interested reader.
References
Preacher, K. J., & Hayes, A. F. (2004). SPSS and SAS procedures for estimating indirect
effects in simple mediation models. Behavior Research Methods, Instruments, and Computers, 36, 717731.
Preacher, K. J., & Hayes, A. F. (2008). Asymptotic and resampling strategies for assessing
and comparing indirect effects in multiple mediator models. Behavior Research Methods,
40, 879891.

Author
JOCELYN H. BOLIN is Associate Professor, Ball State University, Muncie, IN
47306; jebolin@bsu.edu. Her main lines of research include advances and best
practices in statistical classification analysis and multilevel modeling.

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