Interdisciplinary basis of the study of evaluative associative dominants

The associative dominants as the structures of meaning should be analyzed by taking into account the findings of different disciplines, focusing on the value content of semantic structures (psychology, sociology, philosophy, psycholinguistics, etc.). This study addresses the philosophical and psychological foundations of interdisciplinary research of the results of a psycholinguistic associative experiment, i.e., the evaluative associations dominating for Russian linguistic personality. The author considers the possible approaches to the concept of “culturally universality” differing on the following grounds: 1) what is relevant for a researcher working with cultural universals; 2) what idea of a person is realized; 3) how cultural phenomena are characterized; 4) what methods are used. The philosophical basis for studying the evaluative associative dominants is substantiated. It is suggested to rely on the idea of the hierarchical organization of values, the concept suggested by N. O. Lossky, and on the deontological approach in axiology. Also, the possibilities of applying psychological concepts in the study of evaluative associative dominants are assessed. The most promising psychological methodology for the analysis of associative dominants is seen to be the concept of the unity of consciousness and emotion by Yu. I. Alexandrov. The structure of the unity of consciousness and emotions can be traced in the principle of the organization of associations as verbalized meanings: conscious, more differentiated layers of experience are imprinted in associations that tend towards more universal expressions of moral evaluation, close to cultural universals, while emotionally colored associations are more characteristic of the value level of consciousness.

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