Physiological need, word frequency, and visual duration thresholds.

Abstract

This expt. was designed to test hypothesis that with increased deprivation, need-relevant stimulus words would be recognized more rapidly than neutral words, and to determine what part word frequency played in this process. Three groups of 20 subjects each were deprived of food and water, and their recognition thresholds for need-relevant and neutral words were obtained at 0-, 10-, and 24-hr, deprivation. The stimulus words were matched for commonness and food-water relevance. The principle findings were: (a) that word-commonness was the single most important factor, (b) that need-related words were recognized more rapidly as need increased, and (c) that word-commonness was not a significant interactive factor. The relationship between physiological deprivation and re cognition-time thresholds for need-relevant stimuli is not a simple linear one, however, for there is a slight increment in recognition-time thresholds at the 24-hr. period. Analysis of the presolution responses revealed that at 10 hrs. there was an increase in the number of need satisfiers and "eating" and "drinking" words, with a drop at 24 hrs.; while the responses denoting acts instrumental to obtaining need-satisfaction decreased at 10 hrs. and increased at 24 hrs.