Elaboration model

The elaboration model compares a pooled statistical association with the associations conditional on a third variable. Replication describes a similar pattern within the strata. Specification describes a relationship whose size or direction varies between strata. Attenuation can suggest explanation by an antecedent confounder, or interpretation through an intervening causal mediator. These causal readings require justified temporal and causal assumptions; conditional tables alone do not identify the third variable's role.^[ref]

Assess the patterns through conditional probabilities or comparable effect sizes. Different p-values also reflect different sample sizes and standard errors, so significant and nonsignificant results need not differ significantly.