Extreme Response Tendencies on a Semantic Differential

Abstract

The present investigation was undertaken to examine the generality of the findings of a number of studies whose results indicated that psychiatric patients, as compared with normals, exhibited a higher frequency of checking the polar extremes of the semantic differential. Three carefully matched groups of normals, neurotics and psychotics completed a 7-concept, 9scale form of the semantic differential and their scale-checking styles were compared. The results supported the hypothesis that psychiatric patients check the extremes more often than normals but did not confirm the finding that psychotics are significantly more extreme in their responses than neurotics. It was suggested that the observed extreme response tendencies of psychiatric patients could reflect an important aspect of emotional maladjustment.