This study of an hierarchical characteristic of associative strength was concerned with an associative factor of relative distance (RD) measured as distance from a primary associate to the secondary as referred to communality. Different stimulus lists varied RD by making the communality of primaries homogeneous and varying that of secondaries. The method of independent repetitions for successive trials of presentation of a stimulus was adopted, and the repetitive probability of associations and the latencies were measured. The RD directly reflected repetitions of associations, while among the lists of corresponding RD there was no difference in latency. Implications of the RD were discussed.
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