Mediation and mechanism | Zendy

Tyler J. VanderWeele | Zendy

AI Assistant Blog Pricing

Home ZAIA Blog

Open Access

Mediation and mechanism

Author(s) -

Tyler J. VanderWeele

Publication year - 2009

Publication title -

european journal of epidemiology

Language(s) - English

Resource type - Journals

SCImago Journal Rank - 3.825

H-Index - 111

eISSN - 1573-7284

pISSN - 0393-2990

DOI - 10.1007/s10654-009-9331-1

Subject(s) - counterfactual thinking , mediation , mechanism (biology) , causality (physics) , causal inference , causal model , medicine , epistemology , social psychology , psychology , sociology , social science , philosophy , physics , pathology , quantum mechanics

The concepts of mediation and mechanism are contrasted and logical implications holding between theses two concepts are described. The concept of mediation can be formalized using counterfactual definitions of indirect effects; the concept of mechanism can be formalized within the sufficient cause framework. It is shown that both concepts can be illustrated using a single causal diagram. It is also shown that mediation implies mechanism but mechanism need not imply mediation. Discussion is given regarding how the distinction between "statistical causality" and "mechanistic causality" is blurred by recent work in causal inference concerning methods for testing for mediation and mechanism.

The content you want is available to Zendy users.

Already have an account? Click here to sign in.

Having issues? You can contact us here

Accelerating Research