How Mixed-Effects Modeling Can Advance Our Understanding of Learning and Memory and Improve Clinical and Educational Practice

摘要

PurposeA key goal of researchers, clinicians, and educators within the fields of speech, language, and hearing sciences is to support the learning and memory of others. To do so, they consider factors relevant to the individual, the material to be learned, and the training strategy that can maximize learning and retention. Statistical methods typically used within these fields are inadequate for identifying the complex relationships between these factors and are ill equipped to account for variability across individuals when identifying these relationships. Specifically, traditional statistical methods are often inadequate for answering questions about special populations because samples drawn from these populations are usually small, highly variable, and skewed in distribution. Mixed-effects modeling provides advantages over traditional statistical techniques to answer complex questions while taking into account these common characteristics of special populations.