“Messages produced under heightened drive level should (a) be more stereotyped, (b) be more disorganized, if the motivation level is extremely high, (c) reflect the specific nature of the motives operating, and (d) reflect conflict of responses if two or more competing motives are operating. These hypotheses were tested by (a) a comparison of suicide notes with ordinary letters to friends and relatives and (b) a comparison of genuine suicide notes with simulated suicide notes, written by suicidal people.” The hypotheses are supported and the results related to psycholinguistic theory. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved)