Semantics of Mother Image in University Students

The traditional understanding of motherhood is undergoing some profound changes. University and college are a key stage for understanding the value of motherhood, assessing the influence of parents on one’s personal development, and comprehending the basics of family planning. The article describes the way university students perceive motherhood. The research relied on social cognitive psychology, socio-psychological approach, and associative techniques, e.g., free associations, specific, and forced associations. It involved 435 students and 22,000 verbal associates. The resulting semantics of mother image consisted of a set of blocks: 1) cultural norms and traditions; 2) emotional closeness and support; 3) upbringing and education; 4) harmonious family relationships; 5) respect and trust in oneself and others. This semantic field of ideas was highly emotional and expressive. Along with such traditional categories as care, wisdom, and kindness, they included codependent relationships and the image of a "changing mother" (self-care, changes in the mother as the child grows, etc.). This may indicate a need for actual and / or expected support from the mother and the development of one’s own parental position. Young people’s social ideas about mothers reflect their personal experience, family upbringing, understanding of parent-child relationships, and psychological literacy acquired at university. The results demonstrated the dynamics of family relationships and their influence on personal development. They could be used to facilitate the psychological readiness for motherhood, as well as for the psychological counselling of codependent relationships and parenting.

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