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Individual effects in variation analysis: Model, software, and research design

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 March 2013

John C. Paolillo
John C. Paolillo*
Affiliation:
Indiana University
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Abstract

Individual-level variation is a recurrent issue in variationist sociolinguistics. One current approach recommends addressing this via mixed-effects modeling. This paper shows that a closely related model with fixed effects for individual speakers can be directly estimated using Goldvarb. The consequences of employing different approaches to speaker variation are explored by using different model selection criteria. We conclude by discussing the relation of the statistical model to the assumptions of the research design, pointing out that nonrandom selection of speakers potentially violates the assumptions of models with random effects for speaker, and suggesting that a model with fixed effects for speakers may be a better alternative in these cases.

Type
Research Article
Information
Language Variation and Change , Volume 25 , Issue 1 , March 2013 , pp. 89 - 118
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2013

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