Table 2.
Mediation Analyses Results with BAS as the Outcome Variable
| Region | Path a | Path b | Path c' | Path c | Path a*b |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amygdala | |||||
| Path coefficient | .39 | 9.24 | −4.28 | −.67 | 3.62 |
| STE | .40 | 4.13 | 5.68 | 6.24 | 4.31 |
| p | .32 | .04 | .22 | .70 | .25 |
| Caudate | |||||
| Path coefficient | .87 | 9.13 | −8.41 | −.66 | 7.74 |
| STE | .52 | 3.64 | 5.74 | 6.23 | 5.49 |
| p | .01 | .01 | .04 | .70 | .02 |
| Nucleus Accumbens | |||||
| Path coefficient | .84 | 8.73 | −7.98 | −.67 | 7.31 |
| STE | .50 | 3.50 | 6.05 | 6.15 | 5.55 |
| p | .01 | .02 | .07 | .71 | .01 |
| Putamen | |||||
| Path coefficient | .69 | 10.98 | −7.89 | −.65 | 7.23 |
| STE | .41 | 4.75 | 5.84 | 6.22 | 4.71 |
| p | .005 | .02 | .06 | .71 | .01 |
Results from mediation analyses where fetal testosterone is the predictor, mean Happy > Fear region of interest response is the mediator, and total behavioral approach system (BAS) score summing across all subscales is the outcome variable. Path a is the relationship between the predictor and the mediator. Path b is the relationship between the mediator and the outcome, controlling for the predictor. Path c' is the relationship between the predictor and the outcome controlling for the mediator. Path c is the total effect of the relationship between the predictor and the outcome, irrespective of the mediator. Path a*b is the difference between path c and path c'. Hypothesis testing and statistical significance was evaluated with bootstrapping. An effect was statistically significant if the value 0 was not within the 95% bias-corrected and accelerated bootstrap confidence intervals.
STE, standard error.