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Understanding the Word Association Test

The Word Association Test, originally introduced by Galton, is a psychological assessment that explores the connections between stimulus words and verbal responses, revealing insights into the unconscious mind. Developed further by Carl Jung, this method examines psychological complexes by analyzing the associations elicited from subjects' responses. Various disturbances in responses can indicate different psychological conditions, such as schizophrenia or depression.

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21 views10 pages

Understanding the Word Association Test

The Word Association Test, originally introduced by Galton, is a psychological assessment that explores the connections between stimulus words and verbal responses, revealing insights into the unconscious mind. Developed further by Carl Jung, this method examines psychological complexes by analyzing the associations elicited from subjects' responses. Various disturbances in responses can indicate different psychological conditions, such as schizophrenia or depression.

Uploaded by

ayeshach2808
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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WAT ( WORD ASSOCIATION TEST)

Dr. Mirrat Gul Butt


WORD ASSOCIATION TEST

• Word association test was originally known as free


association test and was introduced by Galton as a
research instrument. He used a list of 75 stimulus words
with which he read and noted his responses. His noted
that his responses were typically taken from his
childhood experiences.
• This prompted future studies by prominent psychologist
such as Freud in the area of psychoanalysis dealing with
the unconscious mind through the use of free
association.
WORD ASSOCIATION TEST

This technique was then developed by Carl Jung


as a clinical tool to explore complexes in the
personal unconscious.
• Jung came to recognize the existence of groups
of thoughts, feelings, memories and perceptions
organized around a central theme, that he
termed psychological complexes.
WORD ASSOCIATION TEST

This discovery was related to his research into


word association, whereby words presented to
patients elicit their word responses that reflect
their related concepts in the patient’s psyche,
thus providing clues to their unique
psychological make-up.
• Jung introduced significant innovation to this
method. In addition to the cognitive
dimensions, he introduced the emotional
aspects involved.
WORD ASSOCIATION TEST

The word association method is a


psychological test intended to reveal
associative connections between stimulus
words and free verbal responses.
• Subjects are instructed to give discrete verbal
responses to common stimulus words (usually
nouns or verbs). A list of words is presented
one at a time to the subject who is asked to
respond with the first word or idea that comes
to mind. The reaction time, verbal response,
and test behavior were recorded and analyzed.
WORD ASSOCIATION TEST

In a typical word association test, subjects are


asked to respond to a stimulus word with the
first word that comes to mind. There is no time
limit.
• These associative responses have been
explained by the principle of learning by
contiguity: “objects once experienced
together tend to become associated in the
imagination, so that when any one of them is
thought of, the others are likely to be thought
of also, in the same order of sequence or
WORD ASSOCIATION TEST

• There are different kinds of format of association


disturbances:
1. Blocking:
• Offering n reaction word (schizophrenia)
2. Object naming:
• Naming objects in surroundings (depression,
schizophrenia)
3. Definition of stimulus word:
• A multiword definition
4. Attempted definition:
• An attempt to define the word (usually a poor one)
WORD ASSOCIATION TEST

5. Repetition:
• Repeating the stimulus word (depression, schizophrenia,
anxiety)
6. Partial repetitions:
• The stimulus word is included in, or part of it constitute
the response (depression, schizophrenia, anxiety)
7. Clang association:
• Rhyming word is used (schizophrenia)
8. Phrase completion:
• Phrase is completed, of which the stimulus word is part
of (schizophrenia).
WORD ASSOCIATION TEST

Head
Green
Water
Death
Long
Ship
Window
Village
• Angry
WORD ASSOCIATION TEST

Bread
Rich
Tree
Book
Frog
Child
Pencil
Box
Wild
• Family

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