Introduction to Mediation, Moderation, and Conditional Process Analysis

In this course, you will learn about the underlying principles and the practical applications of mediation, moderation and conditional process analysis. It covers six broad topics:

1. Direct, indirect and total effects in a mediation model
2. Estimation and inference in single mediator models using ordinary least squares regression
3. Estimation and inference in mediation models with more than one mediator
4. Moderation or “interaction” in ordinary least squares regression
5. Testing, interpreting, probing, and visualizing interactions
6. The integration of mediation and moderation: Conditional process analysis

Upon completion of this in-person course, participants will receive three weeks of access (until June 9, 2026) to the contents of the online course "Mediation, Moderation, and Conditional Process Analysis: The Complete Course On Demand". This online course contains additional content on more advanced topics.

The course meets in person over two days from 9.00am to 5.00pm each day. Class will take place at SmithToronto, 200 Front Street West, 30th Floor, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Upon completion of this in-person course, participants will receive three weeks of access (until June 9, 2026) to the contents of the online course "Mediation, Moderation, and Conditional Process Analysis: The Complete Course On Demand". This online course contains video versions of much of the in-person content as well as additional content on more advanced topics.

Computer applications will focus on the use of ordinary least squares regression and the PROCESS macro for SPSS, SAS and R, developed by the instructor, that makes the analyses described in this class much easier than they otherwise would be. This is a hands-on course, so maximum benefit results when learners can follow along with analyses using a laptop or desktop computer with a recent version of SPSS Statistics (version 27 or later), SAS (release 9.3 or later, with PROC IML installed) or R (version 3.6; base module only. No packages are used in this course). Learners can choose which statistical package they prefer to use. STATA users can benefit from the course content, but PROCESS makes these analyses much easier and is not available for STATA.

This course will be helpful for researchers in any field – including psychology, sociology, education, business, human development, social work, public health, communication and others that rely on social science methodology – who want to learn how to apply the methods of moderation and mediation analysis using widely-used software such as SPSS, SAS and R.

Learners are recommended to have familiarity with the practice of multiple regression analysis and elementary statistical inference. No knowledge of matrix algebra is required or assumed, nor is matrix algebra used in the delivery of course content. Learners should also have some experience with the use of SPSS, SAS or R, including opening and executing data files and programs.

Upon completing this course, you will be able to:

• statistically partition one variable’s effect on another into its primary pathways of influence, direct and indirect
• understand modern approaches to inference about indirect effects in mediation models
• test competing theories of mechanisms statistically through the comparison of indirect effects in models with multiple mediators
• understand how to build flexibility into a regression model that allows a variable’s effect to be a function of another variable in a model
• visualize and probe interactions in regression models (e.g. using the simple slopes/spotlight analysis and Johnson-Neyman/floodlight analysis approaches)
• integrate models involving moderation and mediation into a conditional process model
• estimate the contingencies of mechanisms through the computation and inference about conditional indirect effects
• determine whether a mechanism is dependent on a moderator variable
• apply the methods discussed in this course using the PROCESS procedure for SPSS, SAS and R
• talk and write in an informed way about the mechanisms and contingencies of causal effects

A certificate of completion from the Canadian Centre for Research Analysis and Methods is provided at the end of the course.

In this course, we focus primarily on research designs that are experimental or cross-sectional in nature with continuous outcomes. We do not cover complex models involving dichotomous outcomes, latent variables, nested data (i.e., multilevel models) or the use of structural equation modeling. We also do not address the "counterfactual" or "potential outcomes" approaches to mediation analysis or discuss directed acyclic graphs (DAGs).

"The Introduction course to Mediation, Moderation and Conditional Process Analysis is useful for anyone interested in learning the basics of these analyses and how to use PROCESS. I found the examples and interpretation of results from the output helpful and I am applying what I learned to my current research projects."

"I found this class so helpful - I am using mediation analysis for my dissertation and this class gave me the foundation which I was lacking. I highly recommend this class!"

"Thank you for offering such a great course – it was very informative and applicable!"

How do I register for this course?

Click the "Register now" button. This will take you to the registration portal operated by the Continuing Education program at University of Calgary. You should be able to put the class into your cart and check out just like you would when shopping. To pay the registration fee, you have to log into your Continuing Education account or, more likely, set one up. Follow the prompts on the screen for setting up an account as a new user.

The registration is asking for a SIN (Social Insurance Number). But I don't have one. What I do?

A SIN is a number that all citizens or residents of Canada have. If you are not one and so don't, this section of the registration does not apply to you. If you don't have one and the system insists you enter it, try leaving this field blank (make sure there are no hidden characters such as a blank space) or entering a string of nine zeros. If this still doesn't work, contact us at ccram@ucalgary.ca and we will assist you further.

When and where is this course being offered?

This course meets from 9am to 5pm on May 14-15, 2026, at Simcoe Place, 200 Front Street West in Toronto. The SmithToronto facility where the classroom is located is on the 30th floor. You will see a Queen's University sign near the entrance to the building (though Queen's University is primarily in the city of Kingston a few hundred kilometers away).

Where can I stay in Toronto?

Toronto is a huge city with many hotels in the area. The Smith Toronto facility is very close to Union station where many trains (e.g., from the airport) and the main north-south subway line (line #1) pass through (see this map). Toronto can also be an expensive city to visit depending on the time of year and where your hotel is located. In general, the closer the hotel is to Union station, the more expensive the hotel will be. And hotels tend to get more expensive the closer your reservation is to the North American summer (June/July/August). If you are on a limited budget, book as soon as you are sure you are attending the class, and look for hotels further away from Union Station but near the number 1 subway line. Toronto is a very walkable and generally a very safe city, so feel to walk from your hotel if you would prefer. There are also buses and street cars/trams operated by and throughout the city.

I am flying into Toronto. Should I fly into Pearson (YYZ) or Billy Bishop (YTZ) airport?

Most flights to and from Toronto arrive/depart Pearson airport, including most from the U.S., Europe, and other locations beyond Canada's borders. There is a train service called the "Union-Pearson" or "UP" line between YYZ and Union Station. Look for the signs in the airport and Union station. The Billy Bishop airport has some regional flights between Toronto and various locations in Canada and also has some arrivals and departures to/from the U.S. Billy Bishop is small and on an island in Lake Ontario just across from downtown and Union station and so is quite convenient and avoids some of the hassles of larger airports such as Pearson. You can even walk between Billy Bishop airport and downtown through a tunnel under the lake.