Kim Joanna J, MacKinnon David P
Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA.
REACH Institute, Arizona State University, 900 S. McAllister Avenue, P.O. Box 876005, Tempe, AZ, 85287, USA.
Prev Sci. 2025 Aug 23. doi: 10.1007/s11121-025-01836-5.
Mediating variables serve a primary role in devising intervention theories and applying them to practice. Prevention scientists have repeatedly called for understanding how and why an independent variable (X; e.g., intervention) is related to a dependent variable (Y; e.g., drug use). Quantitative mediation is used to describe mediating variables that intervene in the causal path from X to Y. Most methodological development for mediation analysis has focused on statistical methods and the assumptions necessary for valid application of these statistical methods. The current paper describes how qualitative methods extend into mediation research and the unique strength of qualitative mediation in identifying potential mediators and mechanisms of change not previously hypothesized. Taking examples from prevention research, we outline how qualitative mediation generates unique and complementary information about mediating mechanisms that may only be available through interviews, focus groups, observation, archival analysis, and other qualitative methodology. We briefly describe cautions when using qualitative mediation including reliance of retrospective reports, potential to influence interviewees, and selective sampling. We underline how qualitative mediation analysis is particularly well suited for exploratory studies and extracting mechanisms of action for new or adapted interventions in prevention science.
中介变量在构建干预理论并将其应用于实践中起着主要作用。预防科学家们多次呼吁要理解自变量（X；例如，干预措施）如何以及为何与因变量（Y；例如，药物使用）相关。定量中介用于描述干预从X到Y的因果路径的中介变量。中介分析的大多数方法发展都集中在统计方法以及有效应用这些统计方法所需的假设上。本文描述了定性方法如何延伸到中介研究中，以及定性中介在识别先前未假设的潜在中介变量和变化机制方面的独特优势。以预防研究为例，我们概述了定性中介如何生成关于中介机制的独特且互补的信息，而这些信息可能只能通过访谈、焦点小组、观察、档案分析和其他定性方法获得。我们简要描述了使用定性中介时的注意事项，包括对回顾性报告的依赖、影响受访者的可能性以及选择性抽样。我们强调定性中介分析特别适合探索性研究，并为预防科学中的新干预措施或适应性干预措施提取作用机制。
