A Study of Association in Insanity

by Grace Helen Kent; A. J. Rosanoff

This table reveals associational tendencies as occurring in connection with the psychoses studied. A better insight into the nature of these tendencies can be gained by a special analysis of the test of each clinical group.

DEMENTIA PRÆCOX

In this psychosis we find the number of individual reactions far exceeding not only that of the normal but that of any other psychosis which we studied. To a corresponding extent we find the number of the highest type of normal reactions—the common specific reactions—reduced.

TABLE IV.

TYPES OF REACTION
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z AA
+—+——+——+—+——+——+—+——+——+—+——+——+—-+——+——+—+——+——+—+——+——+—-+——+——+—-+——+——+
Common reactions: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Specific reactions…………….|90|89.8|….|90|89.7|….|91|89.4|….|72|71.4|….|631/2|58.9|….|82|71.3|….|71|63.7|….|78 |71.8|….|80 |71.2|….|
Non-specific reactions…………| 4| 4.9|….| 4| 4.1|….| 5| 5.7|….| 3| 4.8|….| 3 | 4.2|….| 4| 4.8|….| 5| 6.0|….|41/2 | 5.3|….|31/2 | 4.6|….|
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Doubtful reactions…………….| 1| 1.1|….| 1| 0.6|….| 0| 0.7|….| 2| 2.3|….| 2 | 2.5|….| 2| 3.0|….| 3| 3.0|….| 2 | 2.2|….| 2 | 3.0|….|
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Individual reactions: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Normal reactions………………| 2| 1.8|41.8| 1| 1.8|35.8| 1| 1.6|42.0| 7| 7.3|33.4| 4 | 4.8|13.9| 3| 3.5|16.3|31/2| 3.4|12.6| 3 | 3.6|17.4|41/2 | 5.3|24.3|
Derivatives of stimulus words…..| 0|0.01| 0.3| 0|0.02| 0.3| 0| 0| 0 | 0|0.04| 0.2| 0 |0.16|0.46| 0|0.10|0.40| 0|0.04|0.15| 0 |0.09|0.45| 0 |0.09|0.43|
Non-specific Reactions…………| 0| 0.1| 3.3| 0|0.1 | 1.2| 0|0.2 | 5.3| 0|0.4 | 2.0| 0 |0.6 |1.7 | 0|0.4 |1.7 | 0|0.5 |1.8 | 1 |0.5 |2.4 | 0 |0.3 |1.6 |
Sound reactions (words)………..| 0|0.08| 1.9| 0|0.05| 0.9| 0| 0 | 0 | 0|0.11| 0.5| 0 |1.62|4.7 | 1|1.60|7.4 | 0|0.54|2.0 | 0 |0.22|1.0 | 1 |1.53|7.1 |
Sound reactions (neologisms)……| 0|0.01| 0.3| 0|0.02| 0.3| 0| 0 | 0 | 0| 0 | 0 | 0 |0.07|0.2 | 0|1.0 |4.7 | 0|0.17|0.6 | 0 |0.06|0.3 | 0 |0.03|0.1 |
Word complements………………| 0|0.01| 0.3| 0|0.03| 0.6| 0| 0 | 0 | 0|0.08| 0.3| 0 |0.06|0.2 | 0|0.03|0.1 | 0| 0 | 0 | 0 |0.06|0.3 | 0 |0.10|0.9 |
Particles of speech……………| 0|0.09| 2.2| 0|0.06| 1.2| 0|0.06| 1.6| 0|0.68| 3.1| 0 |1.06|3.1 | 0|0.50|2.2 | 0|1.53|5.3 | 0 |1.22|5.3 | 0 |1.32|6.1 |
Association to preceding stimulus.| 0|0.06| 1.4| 0|0.06| 1.2| 0|0.04| 1.1| 0|0.49| 2.2| 0 |0.92|2.7 | 0|0.60|2.7 | 1|1.04|3.8 | 0 |0.75|3.6 | 0 |0.53|2.5 |
Association to preceding reaction.| 0| 0 | 0 | 0| 0 | 0 | 0|0.04| 1.0| 0|0.09| 0.4| 1 |1.29|3.8 | 0|0.40|2.0 | 1|2.50|9.2 | 1 |3.69|17.7| 0 |0.37|1.7 |
Repetition of preceding stimulus..| 0| 0 | 0 | 0|0.03| 0.6| 0| 0 | 0 | 0| 0 | 0 | 0 |0.06|0.2 | 0| 0 | 0 | 0|0.08|0.3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Repetition of previous stimulus…| 0| 0 | 0 | 0|0.01| 0.3| 0| 0 | 0 | 0|0.02| 0.1| 0 |0.12|0.4 | 0|0.10|0.4 | 0|0.29|1.1 | 0 |0.28|1.4 | 0 |0.22|1.0 |
Repetition of preceding reaction..| 0| 0 | 0 | 0|0.03| 0.6| 0|0.02| 0.5| 0|0.08| 0.3| 0 |1.16|3.4 | 0|0.12|0.6 | 0|0.58|2.1 | 0 |2.28|10.9| 0 |0.73|3.6 |
Repetition of previous reaction…| 0|0.21| 4.7| 0|0.31| 6.3| 0|0.23| 5.8| 0|0.92| 4.2| 1 |2.72|7.9 | 1|1.51|7.1 | 3|3.46|12.7| 0 |0.87|4.2 | 0 |0.91|4.2 |
Reaction repeated five times……| 0| 0 | 0 | 0|0.05| 0.9| 0|0.08| 2.1| 0|0.32| 1.5| 0 |1.52|4.4 | 0|1.21|5.5 | 0|4.58|16.8| 0 |1.28|6.1 | 0 |0.81|3.8 |
Neologisms without sound relation.| 0| 0 | 0 | 0| 0 | 0 | 0|0.02| 0.5| 0| 0 | 0 | 0 |1.90|5.5 | 0|0.81|3.7 | 0|0.58|2.1 | 0 |0.09|0.4 | 0 |0.31|1.5 |
Unclassified………………….| 2| 1.8|43.4| 2|2.5 |50.3| 1|1.5 |39.4|11|11.1|51.2|11 |16.2|47.2| 5|9.3 |43.5| 6|7.7 |28.5| 5 |5.9 |28.4| 4 |8.6 |40.1|
+—+——+——+—+——+——+—+——+——+—+——+——+—-+——+——+—+——+——+—+——+——+—-+——+——+—-+——+——+
Total individual reactions | 4| 4.2|….| 5|5.1 |….| 9|3.9 |….|21|21.8|….|261/2|34.3|….|10|21.3|….|19|27.2|….|141/2|20.8|….|111/2|21.5|….|
+—+——+——+—+——+——+—+——+——+—+——+——+—-+——+——+—+——+——+—+——+——+—-+——+——+—-+——+——+

86 normal subjects, common school education; records containing not over 10 individual reactions.

A. Median per cent of all reactions.
B. Average per cent of all reactions.
C. Average per cent of individual reactions.

66 normal subjects, collegiate education; records containing not over 10 individual reactions.

D. Median per cent of all reactions.
E. Average per cent of all reactions.
F. Average per cent of individual reactions.

46 normal subjects, school children; records containing not over 10 individual reactions.