A mediation study will be conducted by a researcher to ascertain the extent to which a third variable (referred to as the mediator) elucidates the relationship between two other variables (referred to as the independent and dependent variables). A mediation model uses statistics to examine how an independent variable (X) affects a dependent variable (Y) through a mediator (M). The mechanism or process behind the X-Y relationship is revealed by this model. It divides the overall effect of X on Y into two parts: the direct effect and the indirect effect through M. - is this a sem equation