In this article, we depict the mode

In this article, we depict the moderating effects of Z as arrows from Z to the paths from X to M, M to Y, and X to Y. This approach to depicting moderation captures the notion that Z influences the magnitude of the relationship between the other variables in the model, which is consistent with how moderation is defined (Aiken & West, 1991). We should note, however, that moderation is symmetric, such that either of the variables involved in a two-way interaction can be cast as the moderator variable. For instance, if Z moderates the relationship between X and M, then it can also be said that X moderates the relationship between Z and M. Designating X or Z as the moderator variable is a matter of framing, and the relevant statistical procedures are the same regardless of whether X or Z is framed as the moderator variable. For the purposes of the framework developed here, we frame Z as the moderator variable.