Study of Association in Insanity | Page 7

the same time
lacking in definiteness.
Our classification consists of the following classes, groups and
subdivisions:
I. _Common reactions._ 1. Specific reactions. 2. Non-specific
reactions.
II. _Doubtful reactions._
III. _Individual reactions._ 1. Normal reactions. 2. Pathological
reactions: A. Derivatives of stimulus words. B. Partial dissociation: (a)
Non-specific reactions. (b) Sound reactions: a. Words. b. Neologisms.

(c) Word complements. (d) Particles of speech. C. Complete
dissociation: (a) Perseveration: a. Association to preceding stimulus. b.
Association to preceding reaction. c. Repetition of preceding stimulus.
d. Repetition of previous stimulus. e. Repetition of preceding reaction. f.
Repetition of previous reaction. g. Reaction repeated five times
(stereotypy). (b) Neologisms without sound relation. 3. Unclassified.

§ 3. NON-SPECIFIC REACTIONS; DOUBTFUL REACTIONS.
*Non-specific Reactions.*--It has already been intimated that common
reactions are in the vast majority of instances to be regarded as normal.
From amongst them, however, a fairly definite group can be separated
out which seems to possess some pathological significance, namely, the
group which we have termed non-specific.
In this group are placed words which are so widely applicable as to
serve as more or less appropriate reactions to almost any of our
stimulus words. That such reactions are in value inferior to the
remaining group of common reactions, which we have termed, in
contradistinction, specific reactions, is perhaps sufficiently obvious; we
shall speak later, however, of their occurrence in both normal and
insane cases.
It is not always easy to judge whether or not a given reaction should be
classed as non-specific. A study of our material made with special
reference to this type of reactions has enabled us to select the following
list of words, any of which, occurring in response to any stimulus word,
is classed as a non-specific reaction:
article, articles bad beautiful, beauty fine good, goodness great
happiness, happy large man necessary, necessity nice
object (noun) people person pleasant, pleasantness, pleasing, pleasure
pretty small thinking, thought, thoughts unnecessary unpleasant use,
used, useful, usefulness, useless, uselessness, uses, using woman work
It should be mentioned that some of these words occur as reactions to
one or several stimulus words with such frequency (_citizen--man_,
value 27.8 per cent; _health--good_, value 9.4 per cent) as to acquire in
such instances a value as high as that of strictly specific reactions.
*Doubtful Reactions* have already been defined (p.40): any reaction
word which is not found in the table in its identical form, but which is a
grammatical variant or derivative of a word found there, is placed in

this group.

§ 4. INDIVIDUAL REACTIONS; EXPLANATION OF GROUPS
AND METHODS OF APPLICATION.
*Normal Reactions.*--Inasmuch as the frequency tables do not exhaust
all normal possibilities of reaction, a certain number of reactions which
are essentially normal are to be found among the individual reactions.
In order to separate these from the pathological reactions, we have
compiled an appendix to the frequency tables, consisting mainly of
specific definitions of groups of words to be included under each
stimulus word in our list. This appendix will be found at the end of this
paper.
A word of explanation is perhaps due as to the manner in which the
appendix has been compiled. It was developed in a purely empirical
way, the basis being such individual reactions, given by both normal
and insane subjects, as seemed in our judgment to be obviously normal.
It must be acknowledged that the appendix falls short of all that might
be desired. In the first place, its use involves to some slight extent the
play of personal equation, and it therefore constitutes a source of error;
in the second place, it is in some respects too inclusive while in other
respects it is not sufficiently so. However, the error due to personal
equation is slight; the inclusion of certain "far-fetched" or even frankly
pathological reactions may be discounted by bearing in mind that the
general value of this group is not equal to that of the group of common
reactions; and the number of strictly normal reactions which are not
included is after all small. Our experience has shown us that the
appendix constitutes an important aid in the analysis of individual
reactions.
*Pathological Reactions. Derivatives of Stimulus Words.*--We place
here any reaction which is a grammatical variant or derivative of a
stimulus word. The tendency to give such reactions seems to be
dependent upon a suspension or inhibition of the normal process by
which the stimulus word excites the production of a new concept, for
we have here not a production of a new concept but a mere change in
the form of the stimulus word. As examples of such reactions may be
mentioned: _eating--eatables_, _short--shortness_, _sweet--sweetened_,
_quiet--quietness_.

*Partial Dissociation.*--We have employed the term dissociation to
indicate a rupture of that bond--whatever be its nature-which may be
supposed to exist normally between stimulus