Using three samples of French subjects (ns = 101, 49 and 51) in a single-word free-association experiment, the reproduction of responses has been related to latency at the first presentation of the stimulus. If no consideration is given to the hierarchy of responses, a significant variation exists between the latencies of responses which are reproduced and those which are not. This variation is assumed to be related to a strength in acquisition of the response by subjects, whereas the number of different responses to the same stimulus and associative frequency reflect associative strength in two different ways.
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