Austen Riggs Center, Inc.

Stockbridge, Massachusetts 01262
Tel. (413) 298-5511 © Non-Profit Charter in 1919

April 16, 1981

Dr. Joshua Lederberg

President, Rockefeller University
1230 York Avenue

New York, New York 10021

Dear Joshua:

1)

2)

3)

Thank you very much for your note,
Let me try to reply to your comments and questions in order:

I.Q.: If, as you say, several of the Nobelists are not of notably
superior intelligence, then the Yale group we used should be statisti-
cally comparable to the Nobelists. We don't need the entire group to
compare to Arthur Kornberg; all that is necessary, according to
probability, is that there be something like two of his 1.Q. in the
group of 113 (I'm guessing). Did you mean something else than this in
your comment about competing with Kornberg's 1.Q. or, of course, your
own?

Your comments about synonyms are, as always, to the point. There is an
entire category of word association response which includes both antonyms
and synonyms and which the linguists call paradigmatic responses, These
are responses which can be substituted for the stimulus word, in contrast
to syntagmatic responses, which are those found in syntactic contiguity
with the stimulus word (e.g. cold - water), Statistically, the synonyms
to the stimulus words on the Kent-Rosanoff list are given just as fre-
quently as antonyms and are just as frequent on general language norms
of word incidence. Most of the Kent-Rosanoff word stimuli are rather
simple with simple and straightforward synonyms. There are, as you say,
many types of word classification and much literature on it. I have
discussed some of this in the articles enclosed, and also in my recent
book, The Emerging Goddess: The Creative Process in Art, Science, and
Other Fields. As for the data in the current article, it is merely a
brief research report for the American Journal of Psychiatry containing
pilot data and is much like a'letter to the editor’ in your field. I
shall surely discuss other word classifications when I write up all the
control studies I am engaged in.

 

 

I think your theory about fast opposites being repressive is a possible
one, but then I'm not clear as to why creative people should use such a

Daniel P. Schwartz, M.D. Martin Cooperman, M.D. John J. Dakin
Medical Director Associate Medical Director Administrator
? mo
Dr, Joshua Lederberg Pow -2- April 16, 1981
i POM

y
defense more than others. Even if we assumed that they were more stres-
sed by the test than others, we would expect to find other stereotopies

as well. My data indicate that none such occur, quite the reverse, as
a matter of fact. There is a tendency to idiosyncracy on other responses,

The literature on role swapping that I know of is the material on
Irving Jamis' very interesting work on the use of role reversal as a mode of in-
fluencing others, He ran a smoking clinic in New Haven and used role reversals
to help people stop smoking. It's a very interesting study but I can't lay my
hands on the references right now. I will continue to look for them, and send
them to you.

It was really nice to hear from you. I trust all goes well at that
wonderful ivory tower on the east side. I am fine here,

With best regards,
Sincerely,

(he

Albert Rothenberg, M.D.
Director of Research

AR: fs