Changes in the word associations of fourth- and fifth-grade children from 1916 to 1961

Abstract

Three sets of word association norms collected from children in grades four and five were examined to determine the changes in word association responses of children over the time period from 1916 to 1961 and to determine the effects of oral and written presentation of the stimuli. The responses of 1000 children obtained by Woodrow and Lowell using oral presentation, of 1000 children obtained by the present authors using written presentation, and of 200 children obtained by the present authors using oral presentation formed the basis of the comparisons. Popular responses, diversity of responses, number of idiosyncratic responses, contrast responses and paradigmatic responses have increased over the time span from 1916 to 1961. Frequency of superordinate responses appears not to have changed over time but differences reported earlier by the present authors seem to be attributable to differences in method of administration. Oral presentation of stimuli results in a greater frequency of contrast responses and a reduction in frequency of superordinate responses. It was concluded that, among the variables associated with the time interval between 1916 and 1961, test-taking practice and increased linguistic sophistication of children has been primarily responsible for the changes in word associations observed.