The semantics of the concepts "respect" and "respect for parents" in adolescents and adults

Abstract

The article is devoted to semantic analysis of the concepts "respect" and "respect for parents" as well as the comparison of the semantic profiles of these concepts of older adolescents and adults. The beginning of the article contains a theoretical review of the concepts of respect, shows the lack of development of this concept and the relevance of the study of respect for parents. Following are the results of an empirical study of the semantics of "respect" and "respect for parents" concepts (N = 384). Results from adolescents aged 14 to 18 years (n = 164) are compared to those from adults aged 22 to 70 years (n = 220). The study was conducted using the techniques of semantic differential (22 bipolar scales were used) and an in-house developed scale of the "respect" concept semantics comprised of 26 statements about possible definitions and meaning of the concept of "respect". Research results were processed with IBM SPSS Statistics package version 20 using the following methods: descriptive statistics, Wilcoxon signed rank test, Mann-Whitney U-test, Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, Spearman rank correlation, Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin measure of sampling adequacy, Bartlett's sphericity test, factor analysis (method: principal component analysis, rotation: varimax with Kaiser criterion). Semantic universals of the "respect" and "respect for parents" concepts are highlighted. The differences in perception of these concepts between adolescents and adults are described. The discussion of the results leads to conclusions about a more positive and cooperative attitude of the respondents to the concept of "respect for parents" in comparison with the concept of "respect", and about the difference between the views of teenagers and adults on these concepts. The work also examines the views of older adolescents and adults on what are the conditions for emerging of respect for parents and on the content of this concept. The results of the factor analysis allowed to conclude that respect for parents is interpreted as a feeling of respect for parents or prescribed respectful behavior.