Free Association Test (FAT) scoring and analysis program

Abstract

The Free Association Test (FAT) is designed for quantitative assessment of anxiety and hostility levels (Gottschalk & GIeser, 1969; Gottschalk, Winget, & GIeser, 1969). Each subject is requested to sit alone in a room and record a 5to 7-min tape on personal experiences reflective of feelings. Subsequently, the tape is transcribed, and the resulting typescript is evaluated by means of content analysis for specific forms of anxiety (Death, Mutilation, Separation, Guilt, Shame, Diffuse) and hostility (Outward Overt, Outward Covert, Inward, Ambivalent). Scores for the six types of anxiety are combined into a summary measure, Total Anxiety. Summary measures for Total Hostility Outward and Total Inward and Ambivalent Hostility are obtained in a similar manner. Gottschalk and GIeser (1969) have developed sets of normative scores which can be used for comparative purposes with samples from several different populations (Silbergeld, Manderscheid, & O'Neill, 1975). Although the test is usually employed for solitary individuals, recent work also suggests the utility of a dyadic test for married couples (Silbergeld & Manderscheid, 1976). A detailed procedure is required to derive final scores on each variable (see Gottschalk et al., 1969). For each nonsummary measure, the total weight equals the sum of products of subcategory frequencies and respective weighting factors. In general, the subcategories and weighting factors distinguish verbal references to self, animate others, inanimate objects, and denial. To adjust for the total number of words in the typescript and to state results in terms of score per 100 words, the total weight is multiplied by 100/(total number of words). The resultant product is called the score. The final corrected score is calculated by taking the square root ofthe sum of the raw score and 50/(total number of words). Addition of SO/(total number of words) to the raw score has the effect of minimizing the correlation between the corrected score and the total number of words. The square root