Feist−Feist: Theories of
Personality, Seventh
EditionII. Psychodynamic
Theories- Jung: Analytical
Psychology
(^130) © The McGraw−Hill
Companies, 2009
fantasiesin modern individuals and ancient texts, then you are bound to diagnose
Freud as a sexual pervertsince he is doing likewise with sexual fantasies” (Jung,
1975, p. 186). Nevertheless, Jung asserted that the psyche could not be understood
by the intellect alone but must be grasped by the total person. Along the same line,
he once said, “Not everything I bring forth is written out of my head, but much of it
comes from the heart also” (Jung, 1943/1953, p. 116).
Jung gathered data for his theories from extensive reading in many disciplines,
but he also gathered data from his use of the word association test, dream analysis,
active imagination, and psychotherapy. This information was then combined with
readings on medieval alchemy,occult phenomena, or any other subject in an effort
to confirm the hypotheses of analytical psychology.
Word Association Test
Jung was not the first to use the word association test, but he can be credited with
helping develop and refine it. He originally used the technique as early as 1903 when
he was a young psychiatric assistant at Burghöltzli, and he lectured on the word as-
sociation test during his trip with Freud to the United States in 1909. However, he
seldom employed it in his later career. In spite of this inattention, the test continues
to be closely linked with Jung’s name.
His original purpose in using the word association test was to demonstrate the
validity of Freud’s hypothesis that the unconscious operates as an autonomous
process. However, the basic purpose of the test in Jungian psychology today is to un-
cover feeling-toned complexes. As noted in the section of levels of the psyche, a
complex is an individualized, emotionally toned conglomeration of images grouped
around a central core. The word association test is based on the principle that com-
plexes create measurable emotional responses.
In administering the test, Jung typically used a list of about 100 stimulus words
chosen and arranged to elicit an emotional reaction. He instructed the person to re-
spond to each stimulus word with the first word that came to mind. Jung recorded
each verbal response, time taken to make a response, rate of breathing, and galvanic
skin response. Usually, he would repeat the experiment to determine test-retest con-
sistency.
Certain types of reactions indicate that the stimulus word has touched a com-
plex. Critical responses include restricted breathing, changes in the electrical con-
ductivity of the skin, delayed reactions, multiple responses, disregard of instructions,
inability to pronounce a common word, failure to respond, and inconsistency on test-
retest. Other significant responses include blushing, stammering, laughing, cough-
ing, sighing, clearing the throat, crying, excessive body movement, and repetition of
the stimulus word. Any one or combination of these responses might indicate that a
complex has been reached (Jung, 1935/1968; Jung & Riklin, 1904/1973).
Dream Analysis
Jung agreed with Freud that dreams have meaning and that they should be taken se-
riously. He also agreed with Freud that dreams spring from the depths of the uncon-
124 Part II Psychodynamic Theories