Responses of 110 female college students from four subgroups with differing prior experiences as measured by a biographical questionnaire were evaluated for reaction time, commonality score, and idiodynamic response set on the Kent-Rosanoff Word Association Test. Hypotheses of differing subset verbal behaviors were based upon the research literature and upon anticipated group differences on scales of cultural-literary interest, maladjustment, social leadership, extraversion-introversion, and inhibition-impulsivity. Differences between groups were significant at the .01 level for both a multivariate discriminate analysis and for post hoc tests across all of the independent variables. Each group possessed a pattern of unique verbal abilities commensurate with differences in prior experiences. Cultural-literary interest and inhibition impulsivity were found to be important developmental dimensions in the differentiation of verbal behavior.