Psychological classification of Russian proverbs and sayings about security prac-tices

Abstract

The persistent recurrence of various threats to the well-being of society and individuals highlights the importance of mastering safety practices. In terms of stability, sociocultural safety practices are reflected in specific paremiological units (proverbs and sayings). The aim of this study was to differentiate Russian proverbs and sayings about safety practices based on their alignment with the predominant cognitive styles of Russian and Russian-speaking recipients. It was hypothesized that proverbs and sayings related to safety practices, when aligned with the recipient's dominant cognitive style, would be perceived as more useful in daily life compared to others. The research methods included an associative experiment, expert evaluation, testing, and subjective ranking. The sample consisted of 100 participants aged 19-20, comprising Russian and Russian-speaking students from several universities in Moscow and regional areas of Russia.

The study resulted in the creation of a corpus of proverbs and sayings about safety practices that are used with varying intensity by contemporary Russian-speaking students. These proverbs and sayings were categorized into four groups based on their orientation towards the dominant cognitive style of potential recipients – thinking, sensing, emotions, and intuition. Each group of proverbs and sayings exhibited specific lexical characteristics, enabling their differentiation. The recipients’ assessments of the usefulness of these safety-related proverbs and sayings in daily life were aligned with their dominant cognitive style. The highest evaluations were given by recipients whose cognitive style matched the orientation of the proverbs: thinking-oriented proverbs were rated highest by those with a thinking cognitive style, sensory-oriented proverbs by those with a sensory style, emotion-oriented proverbs by those with an emotional style, and intuition-oriented proverbs by those with an intuitive style.

This research opens the possibility of using these paremiological units in educational and developmental practices aimed at enhancing personal competency in the area of safety. The identified connection between these paremiological units and the psychological characteristics of their recipients reveals new interdisciplinary potential within the field of safety psychology.