LexOPS: An R package and user interface for the controlled generation of word stimuli

Taylor, J. E., Beith, A. and Sereno, S. C. (2020) LexOPS: An R package and user interface for the controlled generation of word stimuli. Behavior Research Methods, 52, pp. 2372-2382. (doi: 10.3758/s13428-020-01389-1) (PMID:32394182)

Abstract

LexOPS is an R package and user interface designed to facilitate the generation of word stimuli for use in research. Notably, the tool permits the generation of suitably controlled word lists for any user-specified factorial design and can be adapted for use with any language. It features an intuitive graphical user interface, including the visualization of both the distributions within and relationships among variables of interest. An inbuilt database of English words is also provided, including a range of lexical variables commonly used in psycholinguistic research. This article introduces LexOPS, outlining the features of the package and detailing the sources of the inbuilt dataset. We also report a validation analysis, showing that, in comparison to stimuli of existing studies, stimuli optimized with LexOPS generally demonstrate greater constraint and consistency in variable manipulation and control. Current instructions for installing and using LexOPS are available at https://JackEdTaylor.github.io/LexOPSdocs/.

• Item Type: Articles
• Additional Information: This research was supported in part by Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) postgraduate fellowships awarded independently to J. E. Taylor and A. Beith (reference: ES/P000681/l).
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Sereno, Dr Sara and Taylor, Mr Jack and Beith, Alistair
• Authors: Taylor, J. E., Beith, A., and Sereno, S. C.
• College/School: College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Psychology & Neuroscience; College of Science and Engineering > School of Psychology
• Journal Name: Behavior Research Methods
• Publisher: Springer
• ISSN: 1554-351X
• ISSN (Online): 1554-3528
• Published Online: 11 May 2020
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2020 The Authors
• First Published: First published in Behavior Research Methods 52:2372–2382
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced under a Creative Commons Licence

Project Code	Award No	Project Name	Principal Investigator	Funder's Name	Funder Ref	Lead Dept
303166		Scottish Graduate School Science Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP)	Mary Beth Kneafsey	Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC)	ES/P000681/1	SS - Academic & Student Administration