Stimulus word
The administrator reads out a predefined stimulus word from a list.
The Association Experiment
The Experiment
The Association Experiment reveals hidden connections between thoughts, feelings, and bodily responses visible.
FROM PAST TO PRESENT
Development of the experiment
More than a hundred years ago, the Word Association Experiment was the first method to
systematically investigate how the psyche and physiological responses are connected.
More about the appC.G. Jung's research later coined terms like introversion and extraversion and influenced developments as far as the polygraph. Today, the experiment is used in therapy, research, and education.
The Sinfothek App supports the everyday administration, documentation, and analysis of the experiment. Its flexible configurability also opens up new possibilities for research, new fields of application, and future developments of the method.
Explanation
This is how the experiment works
In the association experiment, stimulus words, spontaneous word responses, observations, and response times are related to one another. Across several trials, personally meaningful connections can become visible.
The following four steps show the basic principle of the experiment.
Spontaneous reaction
The participant replies with the first thought that comes to mind.
Observation
Responses and any observed notable reactions are documented.
Interpretation
Connections are systematically made visible.
Procedure
Detailed procedure of the experiment
The procedure is structured and scientifically grounded. Each step reveals something new.
Enabling trust and natural reactions
Before starting, stimulus words, framing, and the procedure are defined. A calm and non-judgmental setting creates the basis for spontaneous and unadulterated responses as possible.
Make first thoughts visible
The participant responds to each stimulus word with a thought, feeling, or bodily reaction and says the first word that spontaneously comes to mind. It's precisely these spontaneous responses that point to personal themes and individual patterns of meaning.
What becomes visible?
Spontaneous word responses and initial emotional reactions.
Recognizing hidden patterns
After some time, the same trigger words will be presented again. Memory gaps, differences, and repetitions can provide clues about emotional focal points and unconscious processes.
What becomes visible?
Memory gaps, differences, and repetitions.
Systematically comparing notable reactions
The results of both trials are brought together. Of particular interest are response times, repetitions, omissions, and unexpected reactions, which can point to meaningful connections.
What becomes visible?
Notable patterns and response peculiarities.
Understanding the personal context
Selected reactions are considered and discussed together. The focus is on which experiences, memories, or life situations may be connected with specific responses.
What becomes visible?
Personal meanings and individual references.
Make connections visible
The individual responses and observations are brought into an overall context. In this way, personal themes, emotional focal points, and individual patterns of meaning can become visible — patterns that had previously gone unnoticed.
What becomes visible?
Connections that often remain hidden in everyday life.
The App
The Experiment. Digital.
Professional. Structured. Digital.
Get started today with the digital administration of the Word Association Experiment — available for
iOS and Android.
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Added value & benefits
What can the experiment reveal?
The Word Association Experiment doesn't just make individual responses visible — it connects personally significant themes with their emotional focal points. This enriches professional interpersonal exchange.
Emotional focal points
Personally significant themes can emerge through noticeable reactions.
Recurring patterns
Distinct patterns of thought and response become visible across several trials.
Underlying connections
Relationships between different words and themes can be recognized.
New perspectives
The results provide a basis for reflection, research, and therapeutic work.
Fields of application
Where is the experiment used?
Clinical application
Make life themes visible, recognize patterns, and support diagnostic work digitally and professionally.
Science & Research
Systematic capture of associations as a basis for research, analysis, and scientific evaluation.
Education and Training
Teach the Association Experiment in a contemporary way - with a clear and inuitive dgital tool.
Want to go deeper into the experiment?
If you want to explore the foundations in more depth, Verena Kast provides a comprehensive discussion of the Word Association Experiment.
For a current perspective, the article by Futscher & Schlegel offers a recent discussion of the Word Association Experiment.