ABSTRACT
We may begin our chapter on Emotions with one of the experimental psychologist’s contributions to the world of practical affairs, with a description of an experiment known as the ‘association test’, which may at first sight appear to belong with the experiments on memory. We mentioned in the last chapter, as one means of testing the remembrance of nonsense syllables, the method in which the first pair of such syllables is presented and the subject asked to recall its partner. But it is also a recognized psychological procedure to give a list of words, and ask for ‘free associations’ or ‘the first word that comes into your head’. Supposing I ask you for the first thing that comes to your mind when I say the word “fire”. If yesterday you had witnessed the burning of a large hotel, you might well reply with ‘hotel’; whereas if it were a normal winter’s day you would more readily reply with ‘log’, ‘coal’ or the like.
