Final answer:
The researcher is curious about mediation, which refers to the process by which an independent variable influences a dependent variable through an intermediary, or mediator.
Step-by-step explanation:
If a researcher is asking why the relationship between two variables exists, she is curious about mediation. Mediation is a concept in statistical analysis that refers to the mechanism through which one variable (the independent variable) influences another variable (the dependent variable), often through a third intervening variable, known as the mediator. Understanding mediation helps explain the how or why behind the relationship between two variables.
For example, in psychology, if there is a relationship between stress and health outcomes, a researcher might investigate if coping strategies serve as a mediator, affecting the degree to which stress impacts health. Mediation analysis would then assess whether coping strategies explain part of the relationship between stress and health outcomes.
Other concepts related to variable relationships are moderation, which is when a third variable affects the strength or direction of the relationship between two variables; controlling variables, which involves holding constant potential confounding factors so that the primary relationship can be isolated; and third variables, also known as lurking variables, which are unobserved variables that may influence the relationship between the two variables of interest.