Study shows dynamic cognitive processes in Remote Associates Test (RAT)

Researchers used the Remote Associates Test (RAT) to study automatic mental associations and strategic thinking. The study by Jose A. Diaz, Steven M. Nelson, A. Alexander Beaujean and two others was published on April 18.

According to a summary of the study published in Taylor & Francis Online, the Compound Remote Associates Test (RAT) serves as a well-established tool for assessing creativity. In this test, participants are presented with three cue words, such as "sore," "shoulder" and "sweat," and are tasked with generating a connecting word, like "cold." The various theories regarding RAT performance diverge in their interpretation of the extent to which it relies on automatic spreading activation across semantic networks, the strategic creation of bi-associations and other analytical processes, including executive functions that support fluid intelligence. 

To examine these theories, the summary states that the study’s research introduced a fourth cue word to determine its impact on RAT accuracy, response times and overall performance. According to the study summary, in a series of four experiments involving 551 adult participants, the researchers administered both three-item and four-item RAT trials. These trials were carefully matched based on linguistic and semantic criteria. 

Reportedly, across all four experiments, the addition of the fourth word yielded a substantial 27.91% improvement in accuracy. This performance enhancement was achieved with either minimal or no changes in response times and ratings of insight or strategy utilization, the study summary states. The fourth word primarily bolstered accuracy and response times in challenging trials, while in easier trials, its effect was either detrimental or negligible. These findings point to a nuanced interplay between automatic and strategic/analytical processes in driving successful RAT performance, with their relative contributions dynamically adjusting to the specific demands of each trial, the summary states.

Taylor & Francis Online: Jose A. Diaz, A. Alexander Beaujean, et al., The Impact of Adding a Fourth Item to the Traditional 3-Item Remote Associates Test, Creativity Research Journal (2023). https://doi.org/10.1080/10400419.2023.2200597