mediating variable
nounUK /ˈmiːdieɪtɪŋ ˈveəriəbl/
US /ˈmiːdieɪtɪŋ ˈveriəbl/
A thing in the middle that helps explain how one thing changes another thing.
In the study, stress was a mediating variable between lack of sleep and poor grades.
OTHER MEANINGS
2. A factor that carries the effect of one thing over to another in a chain.
The mediating variable of exercise helped explain why the program improved heart health.
3. A middle step in a cause-and-effect path that researchers measure.
Researchers tested whether motivation was a mediating variable between feedback and performance.
4. A hidden link that makes two things seem directly connected when they are not.
Income acted as a mediating variable between education and health outcomes.