Latency and Reproduction of a Response in a Successive Word-Association Test

Abstract

Using three samples of French subjects ( ns = 101, 49 and 51) in a single-word free-association experiment, the reproduction of responses has been related to latency at the first presentation of the stimulus. If no consideration is given to the hierarchy of responses, a significant variation exists between the latencies of responses which are reproduced and those which are not. This variation is assumed to be related to a strength in acquisition of the response by subjects, whereas the number of different responses to the same stimulus and associative frequency reflect associative strength in two different ways.