I am associative with regard to memory.
I am random (lateral) intermittently and moreso when my system is void of stimulants, some of which work better than others. Stimulants take a lot of the strength out of my creativity.
I am linear most often, though the other things make me seem more random.
I think like this:
a - b - c - d - e linear
a - b - - - m! where m! actually is a good idea that could be arrived at by thinking linear through to that letter. lateral
a - b - f - e - d - c where I remembered something because something in the environment reminded me of it and I think backwards to why it is connected. it's likely this is connected to lateral thinking.
a - b - b - b - b - b where I get stuck and do the same thing over and over and over and over. Sometimes it's listening to music or singing a song or thinking on one thought that I can't get out of my head until the record gets unstuck.
Since the most common complaint I hear about myself is that I am annoyingly logical, it's likely that I am linear around others and more lateral when on my own.