Response faults in word association as a function of response entropy.

Abstract

"Response faults in word association were found to be highly correlated with the entropy of the response hierarchy and with the number of different responses available to the stimulus words. This finding throws doubt on the notion that response faults are largely attributable to interference by emotional factors, in word association. Studies of personal values and perceptual defense which have used words equated on familiarity by the Thorndike-Lorge word count, but which have not taken into account the response hierarchies of the stimulus words, may bear re-evaluation in terms of this variable." 25 references (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved)