The Phenomenon of Responsibility in the Collective and Individual Consciousness of Students and Adults

Aim. Analysis of structural and substantive characteristics of ideas about responsibility in students and adults. Methodology. The study was comparative in nature and was carried out in two stages. At the first stage the method of prototypical analysis of free associations by P. Verges was used to study the social idea of responsibility as an element of collective consciousness. At the second stage the content of subjective ideas about oneself as a responsible person was studied using the materials of self-descriptions "What am I?". Results . The structure and content of the social idea of responsibility as a phenomenon of collective consciousness is characterized by the dominance of the categories of social responsibility and self-control. In adolescence the phenomenon of responsibility appears mainly as the ability to self-control (admission of guilt, punctuality, will) and responsibility for oneself; for adults manifestations of social responsibility for other people (duty, reliability) are more important. The presentation of the phenomenon of responsibility at the level of individual consciousness has age and gender differences. In adults personal qualities of responsibility have a higher rating than in adolescents. Girls realize responsibility as a quality of their own personality earlier and more fully than boys. Research implications. The theoretical and practical significance of the study lies in clarifying the structural and substantive features of ideas about the phenomenon of responsibility among representatives of different social, age and gender groups. The data obtained will be useful in programs of psychological and pedagogical support for adolescent students.