EXPERIMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY

EXPERIMENT:
FORMATION OF WORD ASSOCIATION
AND PERCEPTUAL DEFENSE

Submitted by:
Tablate, Abegail C.
PSY 2Y2-4

Submitted to:
Ms. Magnayon, Mia
Mr. Evardone, Alejandro Jade III
EXPERIMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY

ABSTRACT

The paper presents the result of a free word association test. In this

experiment we categorized the stimulus word into highest to lowest reaction time

each word has a reaction time and the participants are the Psychology student to

determine the relationship of those stimulus word to their associated response

word. The student participant will response to those stimulus word that will show

and there’s a student that will record on how long their reaction time. The fastest

response time got the 1.06 seconds and the slowest time got the 9.99 seconds.

Perceptual defense refers to the fact that the perception of some stimuli requires

longer reaction time.

INTRODUCTION
This experiment is to measure the signs of emotional complexes and to identify

the degree of threshold for each selected stimulus. This game involves giving a

student a word and having their state the first word or phrase that comes to their

mind. There are ninety nine (99) words that you need to answer and the other

student will record on how long you can react in each word. According to

Papadopoulos this test usually consisted of a hundred stimulus words that were

read out singly to a subject who was to "answer as quickly as possible with the first

word that occurs to you." The reaction time, verbal response, and test behavior

were recorded and analyzed. Verbal responses were classified according to

several linguistic categories. The test was used to diagnose psychological typology

and psychopathology. The Free Association was made by Francis Galton (1822-

1911) the first person attempt to conduct study on word association. The main goal
EXPERIMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY

of a word association game is to help students make connections between words.

These can be words related to a particular subject, key vocabulary words, or just

random words you choose. According to Kent and Rosanoff (1910) designed a

word association test where the index of commonality or the frequency of values

of the responses was used to reveal the normal from persons suffering from

psychosis but the word association can be affected by several factors such as age,

socioeconomic status, educational attainment and cultural background.

Word Association Test According to Sinopalnikova (2003) the simplest

experimental technique to reveal the association mechanism is a free association

test (FAT) because in FATs a list of words (stimuli) is presented to subjects (either

writing or orally), which are asked to respond with the first word that comes into

their minds (responses) and in FATs gives the broadest information on the way

knowledge is structured in the human mind.

Perceptual defense according to Collins English Dictionary is the process by

which it is thought that certain stimuli are either not perceived or distorted due to

their offensive, unpleasant or threatening nature. The purpose of this experiment

is the word association test can be used in clinical tool. It is technique, which said

to be projective. It deals with a subject that responds to the word immediately even

if there’s a dirty word you need to answer it as long it’s the word that comes out to

your mind. The word association test is helpful in finding out the first word that

comes out in the minds of the person when a word is said. Carl Jung suggested

that word association games could often reveal aspects of a person’s personality.

Word Association Test is hardly used, though it is taught in some Jungian training
EXPERIMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY

programs and some analysts use it as a technique to enhance the therapeutic

process (Hill, 1975).

METHOD
The association test is a way to identify the associative meaning of a stimulus

word or relationship between two stimulus words. In this experiment there are

ninety nine (99) stimulus word written on the 3”x5” index card. This experiment is

pre-test and post-test experiment. The student will write the first word that comes

to his/her mind after will see the word in the index card, Freud believed that such

responses provided clues to peoples' personalities (free association). There’s one

student that will record on how long you answer of each word then after you answer

immediately the ninety nine (99) words you will write the time of how long does it

takes to produce a response in a word association test. After that, you’re going to

highest to lowest those words and you’ll categorized it in the slowest to highest

and write down the first (5) slow, five (5) average and five (5) fast. For the post

test, the 15 stimulus word that you answered in slow, average and fast will be

shown again. You’ll repeat or remember those 15 words and a certain student will

be recording again how long is your reaction time.

RESULT
PRE-TEST
SLOW AVERAGE FAST

99. Kupas (9.99) 52. Maliit (2.99) 71. Malaki (1.06)

11. Wala (6.69) 55. Pari (2.99) 73. Apple (1.37)

96. Pagkakaisa (5.77) 81. Panget (2.99) 83. Bad (1.38)

EXPERIMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY

49. Maganda (5.14) 80. Pinsan (3.02) 98. Malaki (1.59)

69. Kaklase (4.96) 13. Yaya (3.04) 27. Pilipinas (1.64)

23. Digmaan (3.11)

93. Maitim (3.11)

POST-TEST

99. Kupas (1.83) 52. Maliit (4.27) 71. Di ko alam (10.25)

11. Wala (3.11) 55. Pari (5.80) 73. Apple (6.54)

96. Pagkakaisa (6.7) 81. Malaki (6.37) 83. Babae (3.69)

49. Malaki (9.67) 80. Pinsan (4.99) 98. Malaki (5.12)

69. Ako (4.82) 13. Yaya (3.25) 27. Araw (3.97)

23. Gera (8.85)

93. Mani (8.77)

In this results, the pre-test table shows the slow, average and fast of this

experiment but in the average the student got the seven (7) total because they’ve

got the same reaction time. In the post-test, they have changing in some of the

answers in each columns and the reaction time of each words.

DISCUSSION
Based on the result, the factor that fasten reaction time and faster

recognition of words is those in the pre-test table above the stimulus word
EXPERIMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY

“sombrero” in number 71 got a fastest reaction time which is 1.06 with the responds

word “malaki” and the stimulus word “larawan” in the last number is the slowest

reaction time which is 9.99 but in the post-test experiment the reaction time is

reverse the fastest word that got in the pre-test table is the slowest reaction time

in the post-test and the slowest reaction time is the fastest reaction time that they

got.

More complex responses also elicit slower reaction times. Henry and

Rogers (1960 proposed the "memory drum" theory: that more complex responses

require more stored information, and hence take longer. The status of this theory

was reviewed by Klapp (2010). And according to Welford (1980) and Broadbent

(1971) reviewed studies showing that distractions increase reaction time. In terms

of personality type According to Brebner (1980) he found that extroverted

personality types had faster reaction times while Welford (1980) and Nettelbeck

(1973) said that anxious personality types had faster reaction times.

Perceptual defense apparently is based upon conditioned avoidance of

unpleasant or dangerous stimulus objects. That the individual actually

discriminates the stimulus before he fully perceives it is evident in his increased

emotionality before recognition.

EXPERIMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY

References
California Training Institute, 1. Q. (n.d.). Factors affecting reaction time.

ChengStudy. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.chegg.com/homework-help/purpose-word-

association-test-purposes-dreams-chapter-3-problem-17rq-solution-9781133713791-
exc

McGinnies, E. (2011). Retrieved from EMOTIONALITY AND PERCEPTUAL DEFENSE

Papadopoulos, R. K. (2020, Jan 07). Retrieved from

https://www.encyclopedia.com/medicine/psychology/psychology-and-psychiatry/word-
association-test

(2010). The Journal of International Social Research.

Zeiger, S. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://busyteacher.org/25272-fun-and-easy-word-association-

games-for-students.html