ASSOCIATIVE FIELD OF THE STIMULUS WORD FURNITURE WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF A FREE ASSOCIATIVE EXPERIMENT IN THE CHINESE SECONDARY SCHOOL

Abstract

This paper considers the associative field of the stimulus word FURNITURE. The idea that the lexical units of the associative field are related to the national world view is justified. This helps to interpret the word and reflects the “relationship between things and speeches” presented in the narrow-group form. The empirical study base, namely, a free associative experiment with 82 high school students from the Chinese secondary school, is described. Reaction words are analyzed based on the gender, reference, and cognitive model of the associative field of the stimulus word FURNITURE. The study has shown that the students included lexical units having the classifier FAMILY (“家” [jia]) in the basis of the cognitive model of the associative experiment of the stimulus word FURNITURE; this classifier is related to the stereotypical model based on a family tradition, namely, the tradition of giving newlyweds a house with new furniture for their wedding. It is this model that served as a basis for analyzing the reference and cognitive models of the associative field of the stimulus word FURNITURE.