Some data on controlled association

Abstract

Data from four controlled association (CA) conditions were obtained and compared with free association (FA) response distributions for the same stimuli. It was found that over half the CA responses also occur in FA, though at different frequencies, and that a high proportion of the response frequencies in both CA and FA are accounted for by responses common to both. From one to two of the three most frequent responses in CA and FA were, on the average, identical. The FA responses which also occur in CA have higher FA frequencies than those which do not appear in CA. Frequencies of the primary, secondary, and tertiary responses in CA and FA show some differences, mainly with respect to the primary. Responses inappropriate to CA instructions occur in CA and the frequency of such responses is associated with their FA frequencies. FA distributions for several stimuli used across CA conditions could be partially synthesized from the CA distributions. It is concluded that under the conditions of this study, there is substantial similarity in the responses obtained under CA and FA. Conditions which are involved in this result are summarized and contrasted with conditions in which CA responses differ markedly from those obtained in FA.