A Study of Association in Insanity

by Grace Helen Kent; A. J. Rosanoff

§8. PATHOLOGICAL REACTIONS FROM NORMAL SUBJECTS.

Mental disorders do not always so manifest themselves as to incapacitate the subject for his work or to necessitate his sequestration in a hospital for the insane. It is, therefore, not surprising that in applying the association test to over a thousand subjects selected at random we have obtained a small number of test records which show various types of abnormal reactions. Among the subjects who furnished such records some are described as eccentric, taciturn, or dull, while others are apparently normal but come of neuropathic stock. A few of them are persons wholly unknown to us.

We reproduce in full from the normal series, containing abnormal reactions.

CONSECUTIVE No. 746.—State hospital attendant Efficient in his work but is generally regarded to have married very foolishly. Sound reactions; numerous unclassified reactions.

Table—brought……..19
Dark—some…………19
Music—leaf………..19
Sickness—water…….19
Man—book………….19
Deep—desk…………19
Soft—ground……….
Eating—bark……….19
Mountain—tree……..
House—paper……….19
Black—light……….
Mutton—horse………13
Comfort—hat……….19
Hand—sick…………13
Short—swallow……..19
Fruit—mass………..19
Butterfly—leaf…….15
Smooth—wing……….13
Command—man………. 1
Chair—left………..19
Sweet—sick……….. 2
Whistle—whirl……..10
Woman—where……….12
Cold—coal…………
Slow—some…………15
Wish—whirl………..15
River—rice………..19
White—waist……….
Beautiful—brought….15
Window—women………10
Rough—row…………19
Citizen—sir……….10
Foot—fall…………19
Spider—spice………10
Needle—knee……….10
Red—roam………….19
Sleep—sorrow………19
Anger—August………19
Carpet—covered……. 2
Girl—great……….. 9
High—his………….12
Working—map……….19
Sour—slur…………10
Earth—eat…………19
Trouble—through……12
Soldier—solder…….10
Cabbage—cart………19
Hard—him………….12
Eagle—earth……….13
Stomach—stall……..10
Stem—stair………..10
Lamp—left…………19
Dream—dread……….
Yellow—waist………15
Bread—book………..15
Justice—gem……….19
Boy—bird………….19
Light—left………..10
Health—heart………17
Bible—base………..19
Memory—moth……….19
Sheep—shrill………19
Bath—bend…………19

Cottage—cart………10
Swift—swell……….10
Blue—beard………..11
Hungry—heart………15
Priest—path……….19
Ocean—oar…………10
Head—him………….12
Stove—still……….10
Long—left…………15
Religion—rest……..19
Whiskey—whirl……..15
Child—charge………19
Bitter—bought……..10
Hammer—hemp……….10
Thirsty—Thursday…..10
City—salt…………10
Square—squirrel……10
Butter—bread………
Doctor—daisy………19
Loud—lark…………19
Thief—twist……….19
Lion—lesson……….10
Joy—jar…………..19
Bed—beard…………10
Heavy—health………10
Tobacco—toboggan…..10
Baby—bird…………15
Moon—mill…………19
Scissors—setters…..10
Quiet—quart……….10
Green—great………. 9
Salt—sorrow……….10
Street—stem……….10
King—cart…………15
Cheese—chart………19
Blossom—bed……….19
Afraid—frill………10

CONSECUTIVE No. 220—Laundryman in State hospital. Nothing abnormal has ever been observed in his case. Numerous perseverations.

Table—house……….
Dark—range………..19
Music—eats………..
Sickness—dog………18
Man—barn………….19
Deep—hollow……….
Soft—apple………..
Eating—cranberry…..17
Mountain—water…….17
House—pig…………19
Black—rats………..18
Mutton—mice………. 2
Comfort—sheep……..13
Hand—lamb…………14
Short—birds……….19
Fruit—peach……….
Butterfly—pears……18
Smooth—grapes……..18
Command—nut……….18
Chair—bureau………
Sweet—broom……….19
Whistle—violin…….19
Woman—man………… 1
Cold—child………..10
Slow—infant……….14
Wish—night………..19
River—dark………..14
White—steamboat……17
Beautiful—tugboat….18
Window—yacht………18
Rough—ferry……….18
Citizen—water……..13
Foot—egg………….19
Spider—fly………..
Needle—thread……..
Red—spool…………18
Sleep—machine……..18
Anger—picture……..19
Carpet—bed………..17
Girl—bureau……….18
High—oilcloth……..18
Working—pen……….19
Sour—ink………….18
Earth—paper……….18
Trouble—chair……..19
Soldier—table……..14
Cabbage—beet………
Hard—cauliflower…..13
Eagle—potatoes…….18
Stomach—beans……..17
Stem—plum…………17
Lamp—wick…………
Dream—oil…………13
Yellow—stick………19
Bread—stone……….18
Justice—dirt………18
Boy—street………..
Light—match……….
Health—sickness……
Bible—book………..
Memory—leaf……….13
Sheep—wool………..
Bath—water………..
Cottage—people……. 1
Swift—fast………..
Blue—residence…….19
Hungry—beef……….17
Priest—clergyman…..
Ocean—rice………..19
Head—eyes…………
Stove—nose………..18
Long—mouth………..18
Religion—legs……..18
Whiskey—arms………18
Child—elbows………18
Bitter—day………..19
Hammer—nails………
Thirsty—saw……….13
City—plane………..18
Square—chisel……..18
Butter—file……….18
Doctor—duck……….10
Loud—goose………..18
Thief—robber………
Lion—tiger………..
Joy—bear………….13
Bed—leopard……….18
Heavy—tiger……….15
Tobacco—smoke……..
Baby—pipe…………13
Moon—star…………
Scissors—sharp…….
Quiet—noisy……….
Green—blue………..
Salt—yellow……….13
Street—green………14
King—purple……….14
Cheese—axe………..19
Blossom—handle…….19
Afraid—barn……….19

CONSECUTIVE No. 255.—State hospital attendant. Efficient, but unusually taciturn and seclusive. Sound reactions.

Table—linen……….
Dark—sunshine……..17
Music—song………..
Sickness—Saturday….19
Man—manager……….10
Deep—dark…………
Soft—sorrowful…….10
Eating—eighty……..10
Mountain—miner…….19
House—heart……….19
Black—blue………..
Mutton—mountain……10
Comfort—company……17
Hand—happy………..10
Short—slow………..17
Fruit—froth……….10
Butterfly—butter…..10
Smooth—smoke………10
Command—company……
Chair—chap………..10
Sweet—slow………..15
Whistle—whip………10
Woman—worried……..19
Cold—cow………….10
Slow—slap…………10
Wish—water………..
River—rubbed………19
White—wash………..
Beautiful—bounty…..10
Window—light………
Rough—roguish……..19
Citizen—sight-seeing.19
Foot—fool…………10
Spider—span……….10
Needle—work………. 1
Red—robe………….19
Sleep—soap………..10
Anger—angel……….19
Carpet—carriage……19
Girl—guide………..19
High—heart………..10
Working—worthy…….10
Sour—satchel………19
Earth—early……….10
Trouble—trout……..19
Soldier—socket…….19
Cabbage—currant……17
Hard—harmful………10
Eagle—early……….15
Stomach—stable…….19
Stem—stand………..10
Lamp—light………..
Dream—drunk……….10
Yellow—lustre……..19
Bread—brand……….10
Justice—judgment…..
Boy—butter………..15
Light—love………..19
Health—help……….10
Bible—book………..
Memory—mental……..
Sheep—shop………..10
Bath—bandage………10
Cottage—cot……….10
Swift—swan………..10
Blue—black………..10
Hungry—height……..19
Priest—house………
Ocean—apple……….19
Head—heart………..
Stove—strap……….10
Long—love…………15
Religion—belief……
Whiskey—whisk broom..10
Child—chap………..10
Bitter—butter……..10
Hammer—habit………19
Thirsty—thirty…….10
City—soap…………15
Square—squirrel……10
Butter—bank……….19
Doctor—dentist…….
Loud—laugh………..
Thief—thump……….19
Lion—lump…………19
Joy—jump………….19
Bed—bank………….15
Heavy—happy……….10
Tobacco—tub……….19
Baby—bundle……….
Moon—mantle……….10
Scissors—Saturday….15
Quiet—quarter……..10
Green—drought……..19
Salt—Saturday……..10
Street—straight……
King—cattle……….19
Cheese—captain…….19
Blossom—bandage……15
Afraid—flattered…..10

CONSECUTIVE No. 442.—Nothing abnormal has ever been suspected in the case of this subject; mother eccentric; sister insane. Sound reactions.

Table—stable………
Dark—dreary……….
Music—joy…………
Sickness—silliness…10
Man—manner………..10
Deep—dreary……….15
Soft—sooth………..19
Eating—evening…….10
Mountain—morning…..18
House—help………..19
Black—dark………..
Mutton—mitten……..10
Comfort—come………10
Hand—handsome……..10
Short—small………. 1
Fruit—first……….10
Butterfly—butter…..10
Smooth—sooth………10
Command—come………
Chair—air…………10
Sweet—good……….. 1
Whistle—music……..
Woman—wonder………19
Cold—freezing……..
Slow—snow…………10
Wish—wind…………10
River—riffle……… 3
White—wait………..10
Beautiful—handsome…
Window—light………
Rough—harsh……….
Citizen—city………
Foot—walk…………
Spider—creep………
Needle—needless……10
Red—color…………
Sleep—sleet……….10
Anger—rough……….
Carpet—carpenter…..10
Girl—going………..19
High—air………….
Working—toiling……
Sour—shower……….10
Earth—eating………19
Trouble—loneliness…17
Soldier—solid……..10
Cabbage—carrying…..19
Hard—hardly………. 8
Eagle—eating………10
Stomach—starch…….10
Stem—step………… 2
Lamp—glass………..
Dream—dreary………
Yellow—yonder……..12
Bread—bed…………10
Justice—juice……..10
Boy—ball………….
Light—likeness…….10
Health—help……….10
Bible—book………..
Memory—memorial…… 2
Sheep—sleep……….
Bath—battle……….10
Cottage—cotton…….10
Swift—fast………..
Blue—blind………..10
Hungry—hurry………10
Priest—prince……..10
Ocean—over………..12
Head—large……….. 1
Stove—stone……….10
Long—heavy………..19
Religion—goodness…. 1
Whiskey—strong…….
Child—small………. 1
Bitter—butter……..10
Hammer—hard……….
Thirsty—thrifty……10
City—seeing……….10
Square—squirrel……10
Butter—bitter……..10
Doctor—dark……….10
Loud—noisy………..
Thief—stealing…….
Lion—eating……….
Joy—joyous……….. 8
Bed—sleep…………
Heavy—weightful…… 4
Tobacco—cocoa……..10
Baby—boys………… 2
Moon—moo…………. 3
Scissors—successors..10
Quiet—easy………..
Green—grass……….
Salt—simmer……….19
Street—steep………10
King—kingdom………
Cheese—squeeze…….10
Blossom—blooming…..
Afraid—Africa……..10

CONSECUTIVE No. 3l4.—School teacher. Efficient; described as very silent. Unclassified reactions, due mostly to distraction.

Table—cat…………19
Dark—no…………..12
Music—will………..19
Sickness—chair…….19
Man—table………… 6
Deep—floor………..14
Soft—paper……….. 6
Eating—wood……….19
Mountain—chair…….15
House—Window………
Black—wall………..
Mutton—sky………..19
Comfort—air……….18
Hand—table………..
Short—paper………. 6
Fruit—sweeping…….19
Butterfly—room…….18
Smooth—working……. 2
Command—stone……..19
Chair—machine……..19
Sweet—radiator…….19
Whistle—clock……..19
Woman—cane………..19
Cold—flower……….19
Slow—cord…………19
Wish—marriage…….. 2
River—chimney……..19
White—wheel……….19
Beautiful—cane…….15
Window—pot………..19
Rough—grass……….19
Citizen—paper……..
Foot—closet……….19
Spider—awning……..19
Needle—good………. 9
Red—bad………….. 9
Sleep—hinge……….19
Anger—will………..15
Carpet—paper……… 6
Girl—chair………..15
High—table……….. 6
Working—cane………15
Sour—floor………..15
Earth—ceiling……..18
Trouble—chain……..19
Soldier—desk………19
Cabbage—paper……..
Hard—table………..
Eagle—flower………15
Stomach—match……..19
Stem—match………..
Lamp—table………..
Dream—chair……….14
Yellow—cane……….18
Bread—flour……….
Justice—peace……..
Boy—window………..15
Light—wall………..18
Health—floor………18
Bible—house……….18
Memory—paper……… 6
Sheep—dress……….19
Bath—clothes………18
Cottage—earth……..19
Swift—sky…………18
Blue—trees………..19
Hungry—leaves……..18
Priest—bark……….18
Ocean—boat………..
Head—hat………….
Stove—ashes……….17
Long—short………..
Religion—peace…….
Whiskey—bottle…….
Child—dress……….
Bitter—sour……….
Hammer—teeth………19
Thirsty—dry……….
City—good………… 1
Square—wood……….
Butter—best……….10
Doctor—shoes………19
Loud—music………..
Thief—notes………. 2
Lion—strings………19
Joy—happy………… 1
Bed—wish………….13
Heavy—lead………..
Tobacco—plant……..
Baby—good………… 1
Moon—paper……….. 6
Scissors—straw…….19
Quiet—hoop………..19
Green—rope………..19
Salt—dish…………
Street—dirt……….
King—bucket……….19
Cheese—plate………
Blossom—plant……..
Afraid—sweeping……15

CONSECUTIVE No. 216.—State hospital attendant. Incompetent, dull.
Numerous non-specific reactions.

Table—rolling……..19
Dark—swim…………19
Music—playing……..
Sickness—riding……19
Man—walk………….
Deep—singing………19
Soft—light………..
Eating—sleep………
Mountain—low………
House—small………. 1
Black—dark………..
Mutton—lean……….19
Comfort—good……… 1
Hand—small……….. 1
Short—small………. 1
Fruit—taste……….
Butterfly—beautiful.. 1
Smooth—long………. 6
Command—immediate…. 2
Chair—small………. 6
Sweet—clear……….19
Whistle—long………
Woman—small………. 1
Cold—long………… 6
Slow—write……….. 2
Wish—quick………..10
River—long………..
White—clean……….
Beautiful—nice……. 1
Window—big………..19
Rough—bad………… 1
Citizen—short……..19
Foot—small……….. 1
Spider—small……… 1
Needle—small……… 1
Red—dark………….
Sleep—easy………..
Anger—bad………… 1
Carpet—small……… 1
Girl—short………..15
High—long…………
Working—good……… 1
Sour—bad…………. 1
Earth—large………. 1
Trouble—bad………. 1
Soldier—good……… 1
Cabbage—small…….. 6
Hard—apples……….
Eagle—small………. 6
Stomach—good……… 1
Stem—short………..
Lamp—bright……….
Dream—good……….. 1
Yellow—light………
Bread—good……….. 1
Justice—good……… 1
Boy—small………… 1
Light—clear……….
Health—good………. 1
Bible—true………..
Memory—good………. 1
Sheep—many………..
Bath—good………… 1
Cottage—large…….. 1
Swift—fast………..
Blue—dark…………
Hungry—long………. 6
Priest—true……….19
Ocean—wide………..
Head—large……….. 1
Stove—black……….
Long—wide…………
Religion—good…….. 1
Whiskey—strong…….
Child—small………. 1
Bitter—bad……….. 1
Hammer—small……… 1
Thirsty—bad………. 1
City—big………….
Square—long……….
Butter—good………. 1
Doctor—good………. 1
Loud—hearty……….19
Thief—bad………… 1
Lion—bad…………. 5
Joy—happy………… 1
Bed—easy………….
Heavy—stone……….
Tobacco—strong…….
Baby—small……….. 1
Moon—large……….. 1
Scissors—sharp…….
Quiet—baby………..
Green—dark………..
Salt—strong……….10
Street—wide……….
King—high…………
Cheese—good………. 1
Blossom—apples…….
Afraid—he…………12

CONSECUTIVE No. 318.—School boy. Non-specific reactions.

Table—board……….
Dark—night………..
Music—sound……….
Sickness—pleasantness 9
Man—people……….. 1
Deep—river………..
Soft—cat…………. 2
Eating—pleasantness.. 1
Mountain—high……..
House—home………..
Black—dark………..
Mutton—good………. 1
Comfort—pleasure….. 1
Hand—foot…………
Short—little………
Fruit—good……….. 1
Butterfly—pretty….. 1
Smooth—soft……….
Command—go………..
Chair—sit…………
Sweet—good……….. 1
Whistle—noise……..
Woman—pretty……… 1
Cold—bad…………. 1
Slow—quick………..
Wish—good………… 1
River—deep………..
White—snow………..
Beautiful—pretty….. 1
Window—look……….
Rough—even………..
Citizen—good……… 1
Foot—hand…………
Spider—bite……….
Needle—sharp………
Red—crimson……….
Sleep—wake………..
Anger—mad…………
Carpet—floor………

Girl—good………… 1
High—tall…………
Working—sleep……..
Sour—bad…………. 1
Earth—ground………
Trouble—bad………. 1
Soldier—good……… 1
Cabbage—bad………. 6
Hard—soft…………
Eagle—bird………..
Stomach—ache………
Stem—slender………
Lamp—light………..
Dream—good……….. 1
Yellow—pretty…….. 1
Bread—good……….. 1
Justice—good……… 1
Boy—fun…………..
Light—see…………
Health—happiness….. 1
Bible—good……….. 1
Memory—good………. 1
Sheep—pretty……… 1
Bath—good………… 1
Cottage—pretty……. 1
Swift—quick……….
Blue—yellow……….
Hungry—eat………..
Priest—good……….
Ocean—big…………
Head—little……….15
Stove—hot…………
Long—distance……..
Religion—good…….. 1
Whiskey—bad………. 1
Child—cute………..
Bitter—good………. 1
Hammer—hard……….
Thirsty—hard……… 5
City—good………… 6
Square—round………
Butter—soft……….
Doctor—good………. 1
Loud—noisy………..
Thief—good……….. 6
Lion—big………….
Joy—good…………. 1
Bed—comfortable……
Heavy—light……….
Tobacco—bad………. 1
Baby—pretty………. 1
Moon—cute…………13
Scissors—sharp…….
Quiet—loud………..
Green—pretty……… 1
Salt—good………… 1
Street—narrow……..
King—good………… 6
Cheese—good………. 1
Blossom—pretty……. 1
Afraid—scared……..

CONSECUTIVE NO. 234.—School boy. Non-specific reactions.

Table—chair……….
Dark—cold…………
Music—sweet……….
Sickness—hard……..
Man—wise………….19
Deep—dark…………
Soft—sweet………..
Eating—drinking……
Mountain—snow……..
House—great………. 9
Black—horse……….
Mutton—good………. 1
Comfort—health…….
Hand—foot…………
Short—fat…………
Fruit—good……….. 1
Butterfly—pretty…..
Smooth—hard……….
Command—general……
Chair—soft………..
Sweet—good……….. 1
Whistle—loud………
Woman—large………. 1
Cold—dreary……….
Slow—hard…………
Wish—fairy………..
River—large………. 1
White—snow………..
Beautiful—woman…… 1
Window—large……… 1
Rough—hard………..
Citizen—good……… 1
Foot—small……….. 1
Spider—ugly……….
Needle—thick………
Red—cow…………..17
Sleep—dreams………
Anger—very………..12
Carpet—pretty…….. 1
Girl—small……….. 1
High—tree…………
Working—hard………
Sour—bitter……….
Earth—great………. 1
Trouble—hard………
Soldier—brave……..
Cabbage—good……… 1
Hard—stone………..
Eagle—great………. 9
Stomach—weak………
Stem—watch………..
Lamp—pretty………. 9
Dream—sweet……….
Yellow—buttercup…..
Bread—flour……….
Justice—man………. 1
Boy—gun…………..
Light—bright………
Health—care………. 2
Bible—holy………..
Memory—poor……….
Sheep—pretty……… 1
Bath—nice………… 1
Cottage—low……….
Swift—stream………
Blue—bluebird…….. 2
Hungry—tired………
Priest—church……..
Ocean—water……….
Head—large……….. 1
Stove—fire………..
Long—snake………..
Religion—Jesus…….
Whiskey—temperance…
Child—healthy……..19
Bitter—apple………
Hammer—nail……….
Thirsty—water……..
City—houses……….
Square—desk……….
Butter—yellow……..
Doctor—medicine……
Loud—harse………..
Thief—wicked………
Lion—fierce……….
Joy—happiness…….. 1
Bed—rest………….
Heavy—stone……….
Tobacco—dirty……..
Baby—small……….. 1
Moon—sky………….
Scissors—sharp…….
Quiet—lonely………
Green—sour………..
Salt—cows…………19
Street—people…….. 1
King—rich…………19
Cheese—yellow……..
Blossom—pretty……. 1
Afraid—fear……….

CONSECUTIVE No. 809.—Lawyer. 28 individual reactions, of which 14 are classed as normal; 10 are unclassified, most of which are also obviously normal.

Table—chair………….
Dark—candle………… 17
Music—girl…………..
Sickness—doctor………
Man—woman…………… 1
Deep—swimming………..19
Soft—hand……………
Eating—Reisenweber……17
Mountain—Kipling……..19
House—mortgage……….17
Black—spectrum……….19
Mutton—pig…………..
Comfort—chair………..
Hand—ring……………
Short—tall…………..
Fruit—banana…………
Butterfly—color………
Smooth—sphere………..17
Command—soldier………
Chair—teacher………..10
Sweet—apple………….
Whistle—policeman…….
Woman—hat……………
Cold—thermometer……..19
Slow—invalid…………
Wish—million…………
River—Hudson…………
White—Broadway……….19
Beautiful—girl……….
Window—school………..
Rough—ball…………..19
Citizen—justice………
Foot—shoe……………
Spider—insect………..
Needle—tailor………..17
Red—flannel………….
Sleep—potassium bromide.17
Anger—teacher………..
Carpet—tack………….
Girl—belt……………17
High—pole……………
Working—laborer………
Sour—apple…………..
Earth—Columbus……….
Trouble—lawyer……….19
Soldier—gun………….
Cabbage—plantation…… 2
Hard—brick…………..
Eagle—feathers……….
Stomach—juice………..17
Stem—leaf……………
Lamp—light…………..
Dream—pillow…………17
Yellow—lemon…………
Bread—crust………….
Justice—judge………..
Boy—pants……………
Light—gas……………
Health—medicine………
Bible—Jacob………….17
Memory—brain…………
Sheep—wool…………..
Bath—soap……………
Cottage—rod………….19
Swift—ball…………..
Blue—sky…………….
Hungry—I…………….
Priest—surplice………
Ocean—ship…………..
Head—hair……………
Stove—shovel…………17
Long—pole……………
Religion—Abraham……..19
Whiskey—Kentucky……..17
Child—baby…………..
Bitter—pepper………..
Hammer—nail………….
Thirsty—lemonade……..
City—Manhattan……….17
Square—Washington…….
Butter—salt………….
Doctor—nurse…………
Loud—hammer………….
Thief—jewelry………..
Lion—Androcles……….18
Joy—automobile……….
Bed—shoes……………15
Heavy—Flannigan………19
Tobacco—pipe…………
Baby—wife……………
Moon—man……………. 1
Scissors—cut…………
Quiet—demure…………
Green—eyes…………..
Salt—cellar………….
Street—Wall………….17
King—Edward………….
Cheese—Roquefort……..
Blossom—field………..
Afraid—burglar……….