Making Specific Predictions for a Moderation Effect
- Author:
- Shu Fai Cheung
What this graph is for
This graph is for researcher to make specific predictions of a moderation effect in the probable range of IV and moderator in the sample to be collected.
How to use the graph
Decide where the intersection point is (i.e., the point with same DV score for both high-moderator condition and low-moderator condition) is:
- To the left of the low-IV condition.
- To the right of the high-IV condition.
- Between the low-IV condition and the high-IV condition.
- DV is high when the moderator is high.
- DV is low when moderator is high.
- When the moderator is high, is the effect of IV negative, nearly zero, or positive?
- When the moderator is low, is the effect of IV negative, nearly zero, or positive?
Note 1
It is possible that we do not have clear answers for some questions. This helps us to know for which part or parts of the pattern we do not have or cannot have clear predictions.
Note 2
This graph is not for the case in which you predict the DV score is the same for both low-moderator condition and high-moderator condition. This case is not difficult to make specific predictions because we only need to predict the configuration of three points.