CeMPA WP 2/24 - Attenuation and reinforcement mechanisms over the life course

We then offer a model-based decomposition of the overall effect of specific events in terms of their direct effect – the un-mediated, self-reflective impact of (changes of) one variable on the future evolution of the same variable – cross-effect (the impact on the future evolution of other variables), and indirect effect (the mediated impact on the same variable, coming from the impact on other va. [...] The case where the difference with respect to the baseline is higher in the ‘Feedback ON’ than in the ‘Feedback OFF’ scenario, that is when the total effect is higher than the direct effect, implies reinforcement mechanisms; the opposite indicates attenuation mechanisms. [...] 12 The difference between the baseline and the feedback ON scenario is a measure of the direct effect of the shock. [...] (4).13 The F index (blue line) measures the ratio between the total and the direct effect of the shock on the shocked variable itself. [...] 4) measures the ratio of the total to the direct effect of the shock.