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Questions about the implementation and application of the PLS-SEM method, that are not related to the usage of the SmartPLS software.
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rebeccachan1111
PLS Junior User
Posts: 6
Joined: Sat Oct 26, 2019 12:50 am
Real name and title: Rebecca (research student)

Moderator only

Post by rebeccachan1111 »

Hi I am running a model with moderating effect. To make it simple, the model hypothesizes A influences B, A -> B. I have a moderator C. I have run a path C->B, which is not significant. I would like to see if C is a standalone moderator to the relationship A ->B. In the SmartPls setting, I must first create a path from C -> B before I can select C as a moderator in the moderating effect screen (otherwise it does not show up for choice). However this is not the model I want to run (I need C as just a moderator not both an IV and moderator). How can I address this?
jmbecker
SmartPLS Developer
Posts: 1282
Joined: Tue Mar 28, 2006 11:09 am
Real name and title: Dr. Jan-Michael Becker

Re: Moderator only

Post by jmbecker »

If an interaction term (e.g., A·C) is in the model, it is indispensable to always include all simple effects (A->B and C->B) in the model. Excluding simple effects will bias all other estimates in an interaction model. This is a general requirement of moderating models. Thus, SmartPLS does not allow a model without (A->B or C->B). The statistical model would just be wrong without that.
Dr. Jan-Michael Becker, BI Norwegian Business School, SmartPLS Developer
Researchgate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Jan_Michael_Becker
GoogleScholar: http://scholar.google.de/citations?user ... AAAJ&hl=de
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