Meta-analysis and the exploration of causal mediating processes: A primer of examples, methods, and issues

Journal/Book: Psychol Methods. 1996; 1: 750 First St NE, Washington, DC 20002-4242. Amer Psychological Assoc. 47-65.

Abstract: Meta-analysis has mostly been used to summarize the size of an effect averaged over multiple studies, but meta-analysis has not been much applied to the study of the causal mediating processes through which an effect is produced. This lacuna has limited the contribution of meta-analysis to the explanatory theories that play such a key role in science. Fortunately, meta-analysts can explore causal processes. This article reviews several examples of how this has been done in past meta-analyses, using these examples to introduce the methodological, statistical, and conceptual problems that are raised when meta-analysis is applied to the task. Meta-analysts are encouraged to adapt such methods to their work to improve the capacity of their work to contribute to scientific theory, and statisticians are encouraged to solve the remaining statistical problems that current meta-analytic mediational analyses incur.

Note: Article Shadish WR, Memphis State Univ, Dept Psychol, Memphis,TN 38152 USA

Keyword(s): PATH-ANALYSIS; METAANALYSIS; US

Zurück | Weiter