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Winer Foundation, Neurocare, and C.G. Jung Center of Philadelphia president is Philadelphia
and Delaware valley neurologist, psychiatrist, psychopharmacologist, and psychotherapist
Robert I. Winer, M.D., a medical doctor specialist in neurology, psychiatry, psychotherapy, and
psychopharmacology. Dr. Winer is Jungian-oriented psychotherapist (using the approach of
psychiatrist Carl Jung ) making use of dreams - dream interpretation - to work with the
unconscious in therapy, psychotherapy, analysis, or psychoanalysis.
How to use Jung's Word Association Test
(2002)
by Robert I. Winer, M.D.
One of Jung's first English language papers on the subject is taken from his lecture notes from an
address given at the Clark University in Massachusetts in September, 1909. The lecture has been
re-published in numerous books. In the lecture, Jung presents his method of using 100 words to
identify abnormal patterns of response as a means to identify psychological complexes, along
with what he calls "intellectual and emotional deficiencies." To read the original lecture notes,
click on the following link: The Association Method by Carl G. Jung (I recommend only reading
lecture 1).
I follow, with some modifications, the original method as described by Jung.
My Method
My philosophy here is that the clinician wants a test that's relatively quick, easy-to-do, and
reproducible across patients. My method has taken into account my particular quirks but is
presented in the hope that it will help others. The test takes less than 5 minutes to give and
another 5-10 minutes to categorize and make preliminary interpretations.
To link to the form that I use for the test, click here.
1. Patient Instructions
Here's what I say to the patient. "We're now going to do a word association test. This test
contains 100 words. After I say each word, I'll be expecting you to respond with a word. I want
you to answer as quickly as possible with the first word that occurs to your mind."
2. Recording your results
I use a table to record the test results. The table has three columns: test word, reaction time, and
patient-response. After I say each word, I record the patient's response. If there is a quick
response I put nothing in the reaction time column. If the response is delayed, I count silently to
myself and then record the number of seconds. If you can develop a consistency in your method,
this is accurate enough to notice delays in response. The important factor is that you give the test
in the same fashion to every patient. Over time, you'll develop a reproducible technique that is
necessary for you gain experience with.
3. Reproduction
The reproduction method was invented by Jung to "fine-tune" the accuracy of examiner
identified complexes. Here's what he wrote: "If, after the completion of about one hundred
associations, the subject is asked to repeat the original answers to the individual stimulus-words,
memory will fail in several places, in such a way that the previous reaction is either not
reproduced at all, is given incorrectly, is distorted, or only given after much delay. The analysis
of the incorrectly reproduced associations showed that the majority of them were constellated by
a complex."
I don't repeat the whole test for the reproduction test as I find it too cumbersome to do. Instead, I
do a partial reproduction test which I find adequate for most clinical purposes.
4. Interpretation
After the session has ended and the patient has left, I categorize each response by placing the
following initials by the patient's response. If you want to read Jung's descriptions of response
types, link to the original article above. Understand that some of this requires the use of your
judgment. Don't worry about whether you're doing this right or wrong. Once you get the hang of
it, you'll be fairly consistent across your own patient population. To me, that's the important
thing that you want to aim for:
O = opposite (ex. test-word: head, response: tail)
A = association (ex. test-word: green, response: blue)
D = definition (ex. test-word: lake, response: water). A definition is a response that expresses the
patient defining the test word rather than responding with an association.
P = predicate (ex. test-word: to marry, response: forever). A predicate is a response that
expresses a judgment by the patient. It has a qualitative feel.
R = repetition or pause (ex. test-word: to wash, response: to wash) A repetition may be preceded
or followed by an "uhm" or some other pause. Typically, either there is another word that is
given next or the response bottles up entirely.
Pause words are particularly interesting and may reflect upon the automatic respiratory response
to an unconscious complex (respiration stops) or the automatic response to a complex that the
patient is consciously aware of (an inspiration). This was strikingly clear to me when I visited
Ethiopia and noticed that listeners often elicited a quick inspiration in response to my statements.
This was more marked in female listeners who also exhibited a conspicuous downgaze at the
same time. I suspect the inspiration represents a cultural, and perhaps even archetypal, conscious
complex related to social stature and authority.
C = comment. Also, if it strikes me as relevant, I record the quality of association (ex. loose or
concrete, etc.).
After I get done initializing each response, I then make a mark by those responses that had a
prolonged reaction time and note the response on the reproduction test.
5. Re-writing
To me, this is a very important step. I re-write both the test word and response by the following
categories: increased response time, predicates, repetitions, and multiple words. Then I sit back
and quietly reflect as I look at the groupings, words, and responses. Usually if you've done the
test after you've had a few sessions with the patient, it will be clear how the responses are
relevant to the patient. Later, in future sessions, I might explore the areas that had prolonged
reaction time, as to whether they represent major areas needing psychological exploration. I like
to use the predicate responses as areas that may represent emotional deficiencies. Repetitions
may offer a similar insight into the psyche as increased response time does (though these often
go together).
6. Final Thoughts
Have fun with this. Once you experience the "aha" of seeing the validity of the test with a
particular patient, you'll want to include it in your repetoire of psychological skills. Take the time
to perform the test on many patients, even if you don't find any immediate benefit from it. Be
patient and of course, never interpret the results of a single test such as this in isolation of the
clinical history, physical and laboratory examination, clinical course, psychiatric diagnosis, and
the results of other bedside or psychological testing.
I strongly urge that you also explore becoming proficient in dream interpretation which I believe
can also work toward your patient's clinical benefit. Dream interpretation is a complementary
skill set to the data you'll learn from the word association test.