Detection value: A measure of verbal relatedness applied to free association

Abstract

A systematic relationship was demonstrated between the position of a word in the free-association response hierarchy and a measure of verbal relatedness, detection-value ( DV ), defined as the extent to which one word serves as a clue in identifying another. In Exp. I, S s were presented with increasing numbers of free-association responses, which served as clues for identifying the evoking stimulus word. The relationship between position in the response hierarchy and DV was examined by varying the sequence in which these responses were presented. In a further examination of this relationship Exp. II treated single response words as clues to single stimulus words. The DV of a word is related to its position in the hierarchy, but frequent responses have less DV and infrequent responses have more DV than would be predicted. Frequency of usage of the word to be detected also influenced DV .