The Representation of the Image of Russia in the Minds of a Youth Socio-Demographic Group (Based on the Results of a Psycholinguistic Experiment)

The presented study analyzes the features of the formation of the image of Russia in the modern consciousness of the youth socio-demographic group from the point of view of psycholinguistics. The study is based on the results of a psycholinguistic experiment. At the present stage of the socio-political development of the state and society the study of the multifaceted concept of the image of Russia is of particular importance. The relevance of the chosen research topic also lies in the fact that analyzing the image of Russia formed in the minds of young people presupposes a deep understanding of the fundamental principles of cultural and social development of young people. Their study will allow for a deeper understanding of their national identity. In the field of the modern humanitarian paradigm special attention is paid to the understanding of the essence and mechanisms of the formation of the internal and external image behind the stimulus object. The formation of the image of Russia in the consciousness of an individual represents an interference of events occurring in his life, his background knowledge about the studied stimulus object and the phenomena of the surrounding reality based on similarity or analogy. The purpose of the study is to study the image of Russia formed in the minds of representatives of the youth socio-demographic group and to analyze it from the point of view of psycholinguistics. The main method used in conducting the experimental study was a free associative experiment. To analyze the data obtained we used descriptive-analytical and comparative methods. The complex implementation of these methods made it possible to build associative fields of the image of Russia formed in the mind of an individual representing a youth socio-demographic group. The material for the study was the associations obtained during a free associative experiment conducted by us in November 2021 among the students of Southwest State University (Kursk). As a result of the conducted experimental research a large amount of practical material was obtained. The analysis of the material made it possible to construct a lexicographic associative field as well as associative fields of the image of Russia in terms of the semantic distribution of associates and the nature of verbal means of predication. The structure of the associative field of the image of Russia that we have obtained is verified by the data from lexicographic sources.