Jung’s word association test

Jung’s word association test is one of the most interesting psychological tests. It is based on the idea that our unconscious is capable, sometimes, of assuming control of the conscious will. In this way, a word can trigger the evocation of past traumas or make an unresolved internal conflict visible.

This instrument was widely accepted for several decades and was applied, in turn, in multiple contexts. However, it should be noted that we are dealing with a projective test. As such, and used exclusively, it does not have a reliable diagnostic value in itself. It should be used together with other resources, other tests and interviews to reach clearer and more accurate conclusions.

The word association experiment or test was created in the mid-20th century by Carl Jung. and he had a very clear objective: to unravel the unconscious. Understand its manifestations and give it adequate channels to be able to read it, understand it and ultimately bring to light those problems that prevented the patient’s freedom and well-being.

The technique couldn’t be simpler. The person is presented with a stimulus word to which he must respond with the first term that comes to mind. It is understood that These stimulus concepts usually awaken a specific emotional charge.

On the other hand, the therapist must also read the physical and emotional responses that he will later interpret once the test with its 100 words is completed. Likewise, and Although this test is more than a century old, today neuroscience has found evidence that supports its premises.

Jung’s Word Association Test: objectives, characteristics and application

At first glance it may seem like little more than a game: someone says a word and the other responds with the first thing that comes to mind. Now, behind this dynamic, not only the evoked word is taken care of. The physiological reaction must also be interpreted. Thus, Jung’s Word Association Test is based on a broad theoretical framework that is worth knowing.

The conscious mind and pain points

Carl Gustav Jung worked early in his career at the Burgh ö lzli psychiatric clinic at the University of Zurich under the direction of Eugen Bleuler. Let us remember that this figure was key to establishing many of the concepts that we use today in the field of clinical psychology and psychiatry.

In this context Jung He began to study the processes that accompany traumas and complexes. According to him, one way to understand them and bring them to light was through dreams, active imagination or through fantasy. In his day-to-day work with patients, he realized that certain words and expressions acted as stimulating impulses from the unconscious.

One way to promote this activation, to make contact with the psychic universe of trauma, fears and conflicts, was through the evocation of a set of key words. To test this theory he devised the Word Association test (WAT) or Jung’s word association test.

How does it apply?

First of all, Something that Jung himself made clear is that this test is not useful for all people.. There will be those who present excessive resistance, those who do not take the test seriously and those who do not have adequate language skills (whether due to age, comprehension or other neurological problems, developmental deficits, etc.).

The test consists of presenting the patient with 100 stimulus words.Before each word, the person must say out loud the first thing that comes to mind quickly and automatically.The therapist writes the evoked term and must also be attentive to other factors. Response time, discomfort, facial expression, posture, silence, whether or not you repeat the stimulus word itself…

Reliability of Jung’s word association test

Carl Jung realized that this instrument was very suitable to apply in family groups. With this, similar response patterns could be observed, thus identifying the origin of multiple problems.

Nevertheless, Jung himself abandoned this instrument and his interest in the experimental field of psychiatry some time later. Later his theories on the collective unconscious or archetypes would arrive. However, this test continued to be applied until 2005 when its use fell drastically. It is only used in Jungian therapy programs and as a complementary projective technique in some therapeutic processes.

Now, in 2013, Dr. Leon Petchkowsky conducted an interesting study on the subject. He demonstrated through MRIs how the words of Jung’s test generated very revealing neurological responses in people. When faced with words like father, family, abuse, fear, child, etc., mirror neurons were activated.

There was also activity in areas such as the amygdala, insula, hippocampus, etc. The results were also very striking in people with post-traumatic stress. All of this shows us how words evoke emotions, memories and those fragments that we often choose not to consider. In this way, although Jung’s word association test continues to receive criticism, It is still an interesting resource that has the support of several studies.

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