This chapter discusses the 1952 Minnesota word association norms. The Minnesota word association norms are usually known as the Minnesota norms for the Kent–Rosanoff word association test. If the frequency of occurrence of responses to the particular stimulus word is tabulated and then arranged in order of descending frequency, it is customary to describe this series as the associative hierarchy or the associative response hierarchy for the particular stimulus word. There is a general negative relationship between the frequency of popular responses to stimuli and the number of different responses made to the stimuli. The norms have found a wide variety of uses in the experimental laboratory and have also provided a measure of individual differences. The norms provide an index of powerful verbal habits that are shared by members of the college student community.
{"text": "This is one of the studies in verbal behavior being done at Minnesota. This particular experiment is on free association.\nPlease write your name on the outside of the paper passed to you. (You can ignore the place for your name on the other side.)\nWhen you open these sheets, you will see a list of 100 stimulus words. After each word write the first word that it makes you think of. Start with the first word; look at it; write the word it makes you think of; then go on to the next word.\nUse only a single word for each response.\nDo not skip any words.\nWork rapidly until you have finished all 100 words.\nWhen you are through, turn your paper over and write on the back the letter that appears on the board at that time.\nAre there any questions?\nReady. Go."}