18.1 Types of Moderation Analyses

There are two primary approaches to analyzing moderation:

1. Spotlight Analysis

• Also known as Simple Slopes Analysis.
• Examines the effect of $X$ on $Y$ at specific values of $M$ (e.g., mean, $\pm 1$ SD, percentiles).
• Typically used for categorical or discretized moderators.

2. Floodlight Analysis

• Extends spotlight analysis to examine moderation across the entire range of $M$.
• Based on Johnson-Neyman Intervals, identifying values of $M$ where the effect of $X$ on $Y$ is statistically significant.
• Useful when the moderator is continuous and no specific cutoffs are predefined.