Contextual Strength Modulates the Subordinate Bias Effect: Reply to Rayner,Binder,and Duffy

Martin, Vu, Kellas, and Metcalf (this issue) report research indicating that strongly biased contexts can eliminate a subordinate bias effect, whereas in weakly biased context, a subordinate bias effect is evident. Martin et al. further show that in weakly biased contexts the subordinate bias effect increased in a continuous fashion as the frequency difference between dominant and subordinate meanings of ambiguous words increased. The results supported a context-sensitive model of lexical ambiguity resolution. Rayner, Binder, and Duffy (this issue) challenge the research on theoretical and methodological grounds. Here, we address the major issues raised by Rayner et al. We refer the reader to Kellas and Vu (in press) for additional comments.