Cognitive Linguistics

Procedure:
Recipients (those who are tested) are given a certain set of words-stimuli to give their associative answers to each stimulus (the first thought, association is significant). Time is limited: for recipients to catch and write in the first association but not a thought-out version.
The results then are collected and studied. Identical answers are counted. Those (that) which are (is) presented in the biggest number forms the nucleus of the semantic field of a studied concept. Associations presented in a fewer number form the closest periphery of a concept. Then follows the associations which form the next layer of the periphery and thus to the associations which are presented in the fewest number and form the farthest layer of the periphery.
Building structure of the Semantic field of a concept helps to understand its content, its structure and comprehend hierarchy of conceptual values in the World Picture of the recipients.
Types:
1) Free associative experiment: recipients are not given any limits for their reactions presenting (as many as they want, in the form they want. For example: show your associations to the following words…);
2) Directed associative experiment: recipients are offered to give associations of a certain grammar or semantic class (for example: add an adjective to each of the following nouns);
3) Linking associative experiment: recipients are asked to give several associative responses to each of the given stimuli (for example: during 20 seconds to give 10 associations).
Results’ interpretation:
There are two general types of associations distinguished:
As for the type of semantics:
1) Objective semantics (which is fixed in dictionaries, encyclopedias and reference books);
2) Subjective (associative meanings of people as peculiarities of their perception of the phenomena which have their linguistic names; i.e. responses (associations) to the stimuli (lexical representatives of the phenomena)).
As for the relations of language signs:
1) Syntagmatic (different grammar classes are joined and thus form a certain basis for future utterance): reflect speaking relations;
2) Paradigmatic (of the same grammar class): reflect language relations.
Results’ value: Analysis of associations and their correspondence with the stimuli can allow to define:
1) the word-stimulus (on the ground of known associations);
2) the degree of thinking eccentricity or typicality (typical or extraordinary responses and peculiarity of them);
3) the level of education (variety of vocabulary);
4) the direction of education (syntagmatic (humanitarian) or paradigmatic (technical) associations);
5) belonging to a certain culture (for example, associations to the stimulus ‘bread’: Russian – salt, French – wine, Uzbek – tea (A.A.Zalevska));
6) peculiarities of historical development (for example, the level of stereotypical associations has increased (because of MEDIA): 1910 – 46%; 1954 – 60% nowadays – 80% typical responses throughout the world), etc.
Results of associative experiments are processed and published in the specific associative dictionaries, which helps to figure out a typical national character or World Picture etc.
For example, associative experiment: stimulus – ‘Life’ (influence of a language on associations: correlation of a language and a culture).

9. 
   Method of Conceptual Analysis in cognitive linguistic research: the authors; the essence of the method; the procedure; results value.
   

Method of Conceptual Analysis of a literary text in cognitive linguistic research as it was introduced by L.V.Babenko

The Method of Conceptual Analysis is widely used in the analysis of literary works. It was introduced to the home cognitive linguistic research by the Russian linguists L.V.Babenko and U.V.Kazarin. The method implies the following steps of the research of the conceptual system/sphere of a literary text.

Steps of the analysis:

1. 
   Distinguishing of before-text presuppositions which were important for the formation of conceptual space of the text under analysis such as
   

• 
  the time and place of creating it (historical, cultural, social peculiarities);
  
• 
  the name of the author (some biographical features reflected or influenced a certain author’s conceptual position);
  
• 
  the role of an epigraph (a certain motive, supposition to be comprehended at the time of reading and interpreting the content, context and implication), etc.
  

2. 
   Analysis of the semantics of the title and of its semantic radius in the text.
   
3. 
   Conducting a psycholinguistic experiment:
   

• 
  distinguishing a number of the key words of the text and analysis of their semantics (cognitive linguistic sphere);
  
• 
  identifying repeated words which correlate with the key words paradigmatically and syntagmatically and analysis of the peculiarities of their relations (cognitive grammatical sphere);
  
• 
  revealing the main key word of the text – a lexical representative of the leading concept of the work (cognitive linguistic sphere);
  
• 
  distinguishing lexical thematic groups with different expressive power, i.e. analysis of the lexical structure/composition of the text (cognitive emotive sphere).
  
1. 
   Description of the Sphere of Concepts of the text under analysis (or a version – of the works of an author) which implies generalization of meanings of all the key words (‘bearers’ of the conceptual meaning, sense, essence). The aim of that is to interpret all the possible characteristic proprieties of the concept under analysis (its attributes, predicates, associations, figurative images, etc.).
   
2. 
   Modeling of the structure of the Sphere of Concepts:
   
   • 
     distinguishing the nucleus of the Sphere (basic cognitive propositional phenomenon and its linguistic representative);
     
   • 
     around nucleus zone (main lexical representatives);
     
   • 
     closest periphery (image associations);
     
   • 
     farthest periphery (subjective modal meanings, senses).
     

The method allows to comprehend the conceptual message of a literary text, its idea, personality of the author, his world view; distinguish existential cultural, historical, personal, etc. values, motives, principles and perceptions of the world.

Scheme of Conceptual Analysis of a literary text

(concentration)

1. 
   Pre-textual presuppositions:
   

1. 
   Time and place (peculiarities of the epoch, culture, society, Literary Artistic Method);
   
2. 
   Personality of the author (peculiarities which influenced creative work; world-view);
   
3. 
   Peculiarities of the creative work (problems; style, techniques).
   

2. 
   Semantics of the title:
   

1. 
   Meanings of the words from the title;
   
2. 
   Meaning of the title as the whole (direct or figurative).
   

2. 
   S emantic Radius of the title:
   
   1. 
      Words from the title in the text;
      
   2. 
      Their paradigmatic and syntagmatic relations. Can be integrated
      

(3+4)

3. 
   Other key words; their paradigmatic and syntagmatic relations.
   

Offered table-scheme for psycholinguistic analysis (steps 3+4)

Images	Paradigm of linguistic names	Syntagmatic relations

4. 
   Concepts identified in the result of interpreting the data of psycholinguistic experiment.
   

5. 
   M odel: Sphere of concepts:
   
   1. 
      Leading/basic concept/-s) (nucleus); Their relations
      
   2. 
      Dependent concepts (periphery:
      

around nucleus zone, closest periphery, farthest periphery).

6. 
   Conceptual message.
   

An example of using the table-scheme for psycholinguistic analysis (steps 3+4)

Peculiarities of the key-words relations in the sonnet by Shakespeare “My mistress’ eyes…”

Images		Paradigm of linguistic names	Syntagmatic relations
LOVE	Mistress (a real beloved woman)	Mistress	My Walks Treads on the ground
		Eyes	Are nothing like the sun
		Lips	Not as red as corals
		Breasts	Are dun, Not white as snow
		Hair	Black
		Cheeks	Not as roses
		Breath	From my mistress reeks
		Voice (speak)	Not as pleasant as music
		Love	Rare As rare as any she belied with false compare
	Goddess (a typical ideal woman to worship)	Goddess	I never saw a goddess go
		Sun	Is like her eyes
		Coral	Red, Her lips are red
		Snow	Is white as her breasts
		Wires	Are like her hairs
		Roses	Damaskt Black and white
		Perfumes	Have delight as her breath
		Music	Sounds as her voice
		Compare	False

An example of modeling sphere of concepts

Nucleus – True love
Nucleus zone – love a real woman (‘my mistress’): RARE
Periphery – a typical ideal woman of those days to ‘love’ and worship: FALSE, ILLUSION

10. 
    Concept and Picture of the World: the phenomenon of Concept; the phenomenon of Picture of the World; correlation of Language and Conceptual Pictures of the World; role of Concept in forming and developing Picture of the World.
    

Concept – individual personal (or group, e.g. cultural, professional, age, gender) subjective knowledge of a fragment of reality (external or internal). Integrating concepts form a system (cluster) of concepts – Picture of the World – which reflects, being realized in communication, peculiarities of individual perception and understanding the world.