The subjects as a simple random effect fallacy: Subject variability and morphological family effects in the mental lexicon

Baayen, R.H., Tweedie, F.J., and Schreuder, R. (2002) The subjects as a simple random effect fallacy: Subject variability and morphological family effects in the mental lexicon. Brain and Language, 81, pp. 55-65. (doi: 10.1006/brln.2001.2506)

Abstract

This is a methodological study addressing the appropriateness of standard by–subject and by–item averaging procedures for the analysis of repeated–measures designs. By means of a reanalysis of published data (Schreuder & Baayen, 1997), using random regression models, we present a proof of existence of systematic variability between participants that is ignored in the standard psycholinguistic analytical procedures. By applying linear mixed effects modeling (Pinheiro & Bates, 2000), we call attention to the potential lack of power of the by-subject and by-item analyses, which in this case study fail to reveal the coexistence of a facilitatory family size effect and an inhibitory family frequency effect in visual and auditory lexical processing.

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: UNSPECIFIED
• Authors: Baayen, R.H., Tweedie, F.J.,, and Schreuder, R.
• College/School: College of Science and Engineering > School of Mathematics and Statistics > Statistics
• Journal Name: Brain and Language