I would like to conduct a mediation analyses, but my sample size is 46 participants. A colleague of mine said that the minimum sample for a mediation/path analysis should be 75, but I cannot find this information anywhere online. Does anyone here know whether it would be appropriate to use the mediation analysis using my sample size? Note that the sample if representative of the population.
Not sure whether you check this paper Article Required Sample Size to Detect the Mediated Effect
The Fritz & MacKinnon paper is a good overview and it shows, that even 75 is way too optimistic for most models, unless you have quite large a and b paths. Here is another article, which is less optimistic that Fritz & MacKinnon https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2014-13224-001 since it shows that power for sample sizes < 100 are hardly ever sufficient.
What you could do is to simulate your own model with the specific paths you are expecting and make a power analysis out of the simulations.
I recommend
Article Determining Power and Sample Size for Simple and Complex Med...
- Badges
- Science topic
- Similar topics
- Mathematics
- Statistics
- Sampling Design
- Sample Size