Psychological interpretation of the «special military operation» concept

Abstract

The article is devoted to the psycholinguistic interpretation of the «special military operation» concept, which is rapidly spreading in the Russian informational space. Research methods: theoretical (psycholinguistic scheme of sign structure); empirical (psycholinguistic analysis of the relationship of the «special military operation» concept with other signs. The original psycholinguistic concept of sign structure is presented. The structure of the sign is binary (two-element), which causes its semantic contradiction. This structural and substantive anatomy of the sign provides the inexhaustibility of its definition, the ability to transform, complement. The «special military operation» concept allows us to trace the peculiarities of the formation of a new sign in the mass consciousness. Analysis of the official and media narrative allowed to assume that the structure of the sign under study in the minds of ordinary Russians is as follows: «special military operation»/«revenge». The first is the dominant and articulated element, and the other is the subdominant and is not realized in semantic relation to the dominant element. The connection of the sign elements is provided by the antonymous relations with the elements «peace» and «liberation», which, in turn, belong to other signs. Of interest is the prohibition of articulation of the antonym of the dominant element and the obsessive articulation of the antonym of the subdominant element. This clearly reflects the structural specifics of the sign, the peculiarities of its formation and functioning. It has been established that the concept of «special military operation» in the minds of ordinary Russians is due to the unsuccessfully suppressed desire for revenge on Ukrainians. The category of «liberation» hides this desire and protects the cognitive contradiction of the sign from splitting (disabsurdization) and the formation of new signs.