Abstract
Word associations have a long history in psychology. Both Wundt and Galton experimented with the approach (Rotter, 1951; Forer, 1960). Kraepelin and Bleuler were also interested in word associations, primarily as an improved tool for psychiatric description and classification. Jung, who worked with Bleuler at the Burgholzli, recognized it as an efficient means of investigating complexes, i.e., the combination of an idea with its strong affect (Alexander Sc Selnick, 1966). He carried out a series of investigations using word associations to confirm Freud’s theory of repression, and his lectures to American audiences on word associations were well received, perhaps because of the presence of empirical “test” orientation, characteristic of American psychology. It is not without justification that Jung’s word association method has been called the oldest of all projective techniques (Peck & McGuire, 1959).
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.
Buying options
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Learn about institutional subscriptionsPreview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Alexander, F. G., Selsnick, S. T. The History of Psychiatry. New York: Harper and Row, 1966.
Appelbaum, S. A. Automatic and selective processes in the word associations of braindamaged and normal subjects. J. Pers., 1960a, 28, 64–72.
Appelbaum, S. A. The word association test expanded. Bull. Menninger Clin., 1960b, 24, 258–264.
Appelbaum, S. A. The expanded word association test as a measure of psychological deficit associated with brain-damage. J. clin. Psychol., 1963, 19, 78–84.
Bell, J. E. Projective Techniques. New York: Longmans, Green, 1948.
Bilodeau, E. A., Howell, D. C. Free Association Norms. Washington, D.C: Office of Naval Research, 1965.
Conners, J. E., Wolkon, G. H., Haefner, D. P., Stotsky, B. A. Outcome of post-hospital rehabilitative treatment of mental patients as a function of ego strength. J. counsel. Psychol., 1960, 7, 278–282.
Cromwell, R. L., Lundy, R. M. Productivity of clinical hypotheses on a sentence completion test. J. consult. Psychol., 1954, 18, 421–424.
Dorris, R. J., Levinson, D. J., Hanfmann, Eugenia. Authoritarian personality studied by a new variation of the sentence completion technique. J. abn. soc. Psychol., 1954, 49, 99–108.
Forer, B. R. Word association and sentence completion methods. In Rabin, A. I., Haworth, Mary R. (Eds.). Projective Techniques with Children. New York: Grune and Stratton, 1960.
Getzels, J. W. The assessment of personality and prejudice by the method of paired direct and projective questionnaires. Unpublished doctoral dissertation. Harvard University, 1951.
Getzels, J. W., Walsh, J. J. The method of paired direct and projective questionnaires in the study of attitude structure and socialization. Psychol. Monogr., 1958, 72, 1, (Whole No. 454).
Gidynski, Christina B. Quantification of a sentence completion method with depressed patients. Mimeographed report, Duke University Medical Center, 1958.
Goldberg, Janice B. Computer analysis of sentence completions. J. proj. Techn., 1966, 1, 37–45.
Goldberg, P. A. A review of sentence completion methods in personality assessment. J. proj. Techn. Pers. Assess., 1965, 29, 12–45.
Hanfmann, Eugenia, Getzels, J. W. Studies of the sentence completion test. J. proj. Techn., 1953, 17, 280–294.
Hiler, E. W. The sentence completion test as a predictor of continuation in psychotherapy. J. consult. Psychol., 1959, 23, 544–549.
Holsopple, J. Q., Miale, Florence R. Sentence Completion. Springfield, I11.: Charles C Thomas, 1954.
Inselberg, Rachel M. The sentence completion technique in the measurement of marital satisfaction. J. Marriage Family, 1965, 26, 339–341.
Jenkins, R. L., Blodgett, Eva. Prediction of success or failure of delinquent boys from sentence completion. Amer. J. Orthopsychiat., 1960, 30, 741–756.
Lindzey, G. On the classification of projective techniques. Psychol. Bull., 1959, 56, 158–168.
Lindzey, G. Projective Techniques and Cross-cultural Research. New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts, 1961.
Meltzoff, J. The effect of mental set and item structure on response to a projective test. J. abn. soc. Psychol., 1951, 46, 177–189.
Murstein, B. I. Handbook of Projective Techniques. New York: Basic Books, 1965.
O. S. S. Assessment Staff. Assessment of Men. New York: Rinehart, 1948.
Palermo, D. S., Jenkins, J. J. Word Association Norms. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1964.
Peck, R., McGuire, C. Measuring changes in mental health with the sentence completion technique. Psych. Rep., 1959, 5, 151–160.
Rabin, A. I. Growing Up in the Kibbutz. New York: Springer, 1965.
Rapaport, D., Gill, M., Schafer, R. Diagnostic Psychological Testing, Vol. 2. Chicago: Year Book, 1946.
Rohde, Amanda R. The Sentence Completion Method. New York: Ronald Press, 1957.
Rorschach, H. Psycho diagnostics(Transl. by Lemkau, P. & Kronenberg, B.) New York: Grune and Stratton, 1949.
Rotter, J. B. Word association and sentence completion methods. In Anderson, H. H., Anderson, Gladys L. (Eds.). An Introduction to Projective Techniques. New York: Prentice-Hall, 1951. Pp. 279–311.
Sacks, J. M. Effect upon projective responses of stimuli referring to the subject and others. J. consult. Psychol., 1949, 13, 12–20.
Sacks, J. M., Levy, S. The sentence completion test. In Abt, L., Bellak, L. (Eds.).Projective Psychology. New York: Knopf, 1950. Pp. 357–402.
Stein, M. I. The record and a sentence completion test. J. consult. Psychol., 1949, 13, 448–449.
Stotsky, B. A., Weinberg, H. The prediction of the psychiatric patient’s workadjustment. J. counsel. Psychol., 1956, 3, 3–7.
Stotsky, B. A., Sacks, J. M., Daston, P. G. Predicting the work performance of psychiatric aides by psychological tests. J. counsel. Psychol., 1956, 3, 193–199.
Strieker, G., Dawson, D. D. The effect of first person and third person instructions and stems on sentence completion responses. J. proj. Tech., 1966, 30, 169–171.
Sundberg, N. D. The practice of psychological testing in clinical services in the United States. Amer. Psychol., 1961, 16, 79–83.
Wells, F. L., Ruesch, J. Mental Examiners’ Handbook, Reved. New York: The Psychological Corporation, 1945.
Wells, F. L. Foreword. In Holsopple, J. Q. Miale, Florence R. Sentence Completion. Springfield, Ill.: Charles C Thomas, 1954.
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1968 Springer Science+Business Media New York
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Daston, P.G. (1968). Word Associations and Sentence Completion Techniques. In: Rabin, A.I. (eds) Projective Techniques in Personality Assessment. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-39575-2_9
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-39575-2_9
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-662-38701-6
Online ISBN: 978-3-662-39575-2
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive