This repo contains all of the files that generate the Quarto manuscript of the paper Frequency attenuation effects in masked repetition priming: A large scale online lexical decision study.
This study addresses the controversy surrounding the sensitivity of masked repetition priming to word frequency, a topic less contentious in unmasked priming. While unmasked priming exhibits a frequency attenuation effect, wherein high frequency words yield smaller repetition effects, this phenomenon has been inconsistently reported in masked priming. We conducted two large online experiments with rigorously validated frequency databases to reconcile past discrepancies. The first experiment confirmed masked repetition priming's viability in web browser-based settings. The pre-registered second study, designed for high statistical power, successfully identified a significant 9-ms frequency attenuation effect under masked priming conditions. This result indicates that the repetition effect in masked priming is less qualitatively distinct from unmasked priming than previously assumed, a finding with important practical and theoretical consequences. Moreover, our research underscores the usefulness of online masked priming experiments for detecting subtle effects that may elude traditional lab-based investigations.