Associative fields of the concepts harm and utility in the mind of native English speakers 7 Genze,V. Confrontation strategy in the counter-cultural rock-discourse

Abstract

   The article studies native English speakers’ verbal and non-verbal associations with the concepts of HARM and UTILITY. The study is based on the associative experiment that took place in the form of an online poll among 82 respondents. The verbal associations form the basis for outlining the key features of the concepts which are described in the article. As for the first concept, HARM, it is associated with something intentionally causing physical and psychological pain, and the consequences of these actions, including negative emotions and potential danger. As for the concept of UTILITY, it has got the following associative features: something being applicable in order to perform certain functions and gain some benefit for it. The non-verbal associations, in their turn, provide additional information about the image of the concepts under consideration, presented by means of colors, associated with the concepts of HARM and UTILITY. As for HARM, red and black were very common, and as to UTILITY, the participants mostly chose blue, green and white. In conclusion, the article describes the differences between the concepts under discussion and states that even though their verbal associations are not antonymous, there is a clear opposition of black and white colors chosen by the respondents.