grouping: to be decided in each case according to the best judgment of
the experimenter would mean introducing again the play of personal
equation, and would thus court failure of all our efforts to
accomplish a standardization of the association test. Therefore, the
necessity of establishing a proper order of preference for guidance in
the application of the classification became to us quite apparent.

In the arrangement of the order of preference we were guided mainly by
two principles, namely: (i) as between two groups of unequal
definition, the one which is more clearly defined and which,
therefore, leaves less play for personal equation is to be preferred;
(2) as between two groups of equal definition, the one which possesses
the greater pathological significance is to be preferred. In
accordance with these principles we have adopted the order of
preference shown in Table III., placing every reaction under the
highest heading on the list under which it may be properly classed.


TABLE III

1. Non-specific (common).
2. Doubtful reactions.
INDIVIDUAL REACTIONS.
3. Sound reactions (neologisms).
4. Neologisms without sound relation.
5. Repetition of preceding reaction.
6. Reaction repeated five times.
7. Repetition of preceding stimulus.
8. Derivatives.
9. Non-specific reactions.