CHAPTER 1 - THE 1952 MINNESOTA WORD ASSOCIATION NORMS

Abstract

This chapter discusses the 1952 Minnesota word association norms. The Minnesota word association norms are usually known as the Minnesota norms for the Kent–Rosanoff word association test. If the frequency of occurrence of responses to the particular stimulus word is tabulated and then arranged in order of descending frequency, it is customary to describe this series as the associative hierarchy or the associative response hierarchy for the particular stimulus word. There is a general negative relationship between the frequency of popular responses to stimuli and the number of different responses made to the stimuli. The norms have found a wide variety of uses in the experimental laboratory and have also provided a measure of individual differences. The norms provide an index of powerful verbal habits that are shared by members of the college student community.