Study of Association in Insanity | Page 4

II. The
majority of records, however, present no such tendency in a consistent
way; nor is there any evidence to show that these tendencies, when they
occur, are to be regarded as manifestations of permanent mental
characteristics, since they might quite possibly be due to a more or less
accidental and transient associational direction. No further study has as
yet been made of these tendencies, for the reason that they do not
appear to possess any pathological significance.
TABLE II.
Special group values. _____________________________________
Stimulus Reaction General Contrasting Defining Specifying word.
word. value. group 49 group 73 group 84 | subjects subjects subjects
|----- % No. % No. % No. %
chair........... 26.7 25 51.0 11 15.1 10 11.9 1. Table....{ furniture....... 7.5
0 0 13 17.8 4 4.8 round........... 1.0 1 2.0 0 0 4 4.5 wood............ 7.6 2
4.1 9 12.3 10 11.9
cotton.......... 2.8 0 0 1 1.4 5 6.0 easy............ 3.4 0 0 8 11.0 1 1.2
feathers........ 2.4 0 0 1 1.4 5 6.0 7. Soft.....{ hard............ 36.5 34 69.4
14 19.2 18 21.4 silk............ 1.0 0 0 0 0 2 2.4 sponge.......... 2.2 0 0 0 0 4
4.8
cloth........... 1.7 1 2.0 0 0 3 3.6 color........... 12.9 0 0 20 27.4 6 7.1 11.
Black...{ dress........... 2.9 1 2.0 1 1.4 9 10.7 ink............. 1.4 0 0 1 1.4 4
4.8 white........... 33.9 31 63.3 17 23.3 18 21.4
desire.......... 19.7 7 14.3 21 28.8 10 11.9 26. Wish....{ longing......... 1.9
1 2.0 6 8.2 2 2.4 money........... 3.2 0 0 1 1.4 3 3.6

flowers......... 4.2 0 0 1 1.4 7 8.3 girl............ 2.4 0 0 0 0 5 0.0 29. Beau-
homely.......... 2.7 3 6.1 0 0 0 0 tiful..{ lovely.......... 6.4 2 4.1 7 9.6 2 2.4
pleasing........ 1.6 0 0 3 4.1 0 0 sky............. 1.6 0 0 0 0 3 3.6 ugly............
6.6 13 26.5 3 4.1 0 0
court........... 6.4 2 4.1 5 6.8 10 11.9 56. Justice.{ injustice....... 2.6 6
12.2 1 1.4 0 0 right........... 15.7 3 6.1 20 27.4 13 15.5
comfort......... 2.6 0 0 5 6.8 1 1.2 disease......... 0.9 2 4.1 0 0 1 1.2 59.
Health..{ good............ 9.4 2 4.1 8 11.0 18 21.4 sickness........ 15.3 23
46.9 6 8.2 1 1.2 strength........ 11.2 2 4.1 12 16.4 4 4.8
arrow........... 1.3 0 0 0 0 2 2.4 fast............ 22.2 0 0 25 34.2 15 17.9
horse........... 2.8 1 2.0 1 1.4 6 7.1 65. Swift...{ quick........... 11.7 1 2.0
22 30.1 2 2.4 run............. 1.9 0 0 0 0 4 4.8 runner.......... 1.3 0 0 0 0 1
1.2 slow............ 19.0 30 61.2 2 2.7 4 4.8 speed........... 2.9 1 2.0 5 6.8 0
0
disagreeable.... 1.0 0 0 2 2.7 0 0 distasteful..... 1.0 0 0 4 5.5 0 0
gall............ 4.2 0 0 2 2.7 8 9.5 76. Bitter..{ medicine........ 3.7 0 0 0 0 3
3.6 quinine......... 2.3 0 0 0 0 6 7.1 sweet........... 30.5 31 63.3 8 11.0 12
14.3 taste........... 6.6 1 2.0 17 23.3 3 3.6
bread........... 20.6 17 34.7 4 5.5 18 21.4
eatable......... 1.2 0 0 9 12.3 0 0 81. Butter..{ food............ 6.3 1 2.0 14
19.2 3 3.6 sweet........... 1.2 0 0 0 0 3 3.6 yellow.......... 8.0 0 0 0 0 18
21.4
gladness........ 4.4 0 0 7 9.6 1 1.2 grief........... 1.8 4 8.2 0 0 0 0 86.
Joy.....{ pleasure........ 12.1 1 2.0 13 17.8 7 8.3 sadness......... 1.3 2 4.1 0
0 0 0 sorrow.......... 13.5 23 46.9 2 2.7 2 2.4

§ 5. PRACTICAL CONSIDERATIONS.
This method is so simple that it requires but little training on the part of
the experimenter, and but little co-operation on the part of the subject.
It is not to be assumed that every reaction obtained by it is a true and
immediate association to the corresponding stimulus word; but we have
found it sufficient for the purpose of the test if the subject can be
induced to give, in response to each stimulus word, any one word other
than the stimulus word itself. No attempt is made to determine the
exact degree of co-operation in any case.
In the early stages of this investigation the reaction time was regularly
recorded. The results showed remarkable variations, among both

normal and insane subjects. In a series of twenty-five tests, made more
recently upon normal subjects, ninety reactions occupied more than ten
seconds, and fifty-four of the stimulus words elicited a ten-second
response from at least one subject.[1]
[Footnote 1: These tests were made by Dr. F. Lyman Wells, of the
McLean Hospital, Waverley, Mass., and he has kindly furnished these
data.]
It is noteworthy that these extremely long intervals occur in connection
with reactions of widely differing values. That