Airbag moderation: the definition and statistical implementation of a new methodological model

• Published in: International journal of research & method in education Vol. 43; no. 4; pp. 379 - 394
• Main Authors: Hall, James, Malmberg, Lars-Erik, Lindorff, Ariel, Baumann, Nicole, Sammons, Pam
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Routledge 07-08-2020
• Subjects: Child Behavior; Child Care Centers; Economically Disadvantaged; Educational Research; Evaluation methodology; Evaluation Methods; Foreign Countries; moderation; Multivariate Analysis; Preschool Children; structural equation modelling; Structural Equation Models; United Kingdom
• ISSN: 1743-727X; 1743-7288
• DOI: 10.1080/1743727X.2020.1735334

This paper presents a new methodological model termed Airbag Moderation: That the relationship between two variables varies as a function of a third, and that this third variable depends upon one of the others. Airbag Moderation extends and bridges a number of theories and it can be implemented using existing statistical models and software packages. Airbag Moderation is more suitable than Moderation for conceptualizing and testing a range of theories, interventions, and policies across educational, social, and behavioural research. An empirical example demonstrates the effectiveness of UK Sure Start Children's Centres as an intervention in the context of financial disadvantage and the internalizing behaviours of preschoolers. Parallel statistical implementation follows via two Structural Equation Models featuring either a statistical interaction term or a random coefficient. Both indicate that greater use of a Children's Centre is a significant Airbag Moderator of the relationship between financial disadvantage and internalizing behaviours in preschoolers.