Word association in aphasics.

Abstract

Word association test which consisted of 108 stimulus words, was undertaken in 27 aphasic patients (6 Wernicke's aphasics, 10 Broca's aphasics and 11 anomics). The data were compared with that of normal subjects8). The results were as follows : 1) There was a tendency for aphasics to give association word whose part of speech was the same as that of stimulus words. 2) Anomics was the top group that coincided with normal subjects8) in association words, followed by Broca's aphasics and Wernicke's aphasics. 3) Aphasics had a tendency to give the association words that were antonymous to the stimulus words. And the frequency of antonymous words was higher in aphasics than in normal subjects. 4) The unconventional responses appeared in aphasics. Examples of these were : association words whose sound or letter resembles that of stimulus word ; association words making a reference to the experience of subject himself. 5) It was suggested that aphasics, once got a pattern of response, were apt to repeat the pattern in word association.