Individual differences in word association in relation to paired-associate learning

Abstract

The major purpose of this experiment was to demonstrate the influence of individual differences in word association on paired-associate (PA) learning. In the first stage of the experiment, Ss were administered the 100 stimulus words in the Kent-Rosanoff (K-R) list. Individual 20-pair lists were then prepared for a PA-learning experiment. Sixteen of the stimulus words were from the stimulus words in the K-R list. Their response words in the PA list were from the corresponding response hierarchies in the association task. Eight of these response words were responses that the S gave in the association task; the other eight were responses given by other Ss. Eight of the response words occurred as highly popular responses and eight as low-popularity responses in the Russell-Jenkins norms. In addition there were four control pairs which consisted of eight response words given to K-R stimuli. The members of control pairs appeared in different hierarchies and were judged to be associatively unrelated. More popular associates were learned more quickly as pairs than were less popular associates, and individuals more quickly learned their own associations than those obtained from other people. The results indicate that individual differences in verbal behavior are predictive of individual differences in verbal learning.