Psychosemantic features of the worldview of refugees and internally displaced persons

Лозова, Ольга Миколаївна and Дрінь, Олександра Вікторівна (2025) Psychosemantic features of the worldview of refugees and internally displaced persons Наукові інновації та передові технології, 48 (8). pp. 1600-1607. ISSN 2786-5274

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Abstract

This article presents a comprehensive analysis of the psychosemantic features of the worldview of refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the context of forced migration caused by the full-scale war in Ukraine. The research is conducted within the psychosemantic framework, which enables the reconstruction of individual systems of meaning and reveals the semantic structures that shape perception of reality, behavioral strategies, and emotional-cognitive adaptation. The focus is on individuals who experienced the loss of home, familiar social environment, and were forced to adapt to new sociocultural conditions.The aim of this study is to identify the structure of semantic space, define levels of place attachment, analyze the associative perception of key concepts such as "home", "safety", and "family", and explore their impact on psychological adjustment. The methodology includes the semantic differential technique by C. Osgood and the Place Attachment Scale developed by M. Lewicka, both of which help to evaluate the emotional-cognitive content of concepts and the depth of spatial identity. The theoretical foundation draws on the understanding that the worldview is a subjective construction shaped by mentality, cultural experience, emotional states, personal meanings, and social context. The participants (n=52) were divided into two balanced groups: IDPs remaining in Ukraine, and refugees currently residing abroad. The results show that IDPs exhibit a higher level of traditional attachment to locality (65%) and a worldview shaped by nostalgia and preserved national-cultural identity. Refugees, in contrast, display a predominant absence of attachment (53%) and a tendency toward active adaptation, marked by the transformation of value and meaning orientations. The associative perception of “home”, “future”, and “safety” reveals cognitive differences between the groups. For IDPs, "home" is associated with safety, family bonds, and stability; for refugees – with loss, the past, and emotional pain. This highlights a transformation in the connotative meaning of basic concepts under environmental change. Factor analysis revealed key semantic dimensions such as “safety vs. threat”, “hope vs. uncertainty”, and “family vs. detachment”, which play a central role in sociocultural adaptation. The article also examines the psychological mechanisms underlying the dynamics of individual worldview: meaning internalization, influence of mentality, categorization of experience, and emotional encoding of imagery. It emphasizes that the traditional worldview serves as a psychological stabilizer in times of stress and existential threat, and its destruction requires the creation of new meanings. In this context, psychosemantics is an effective tool for uncovering latent adaptive resources. The results are practically valuable for designing psychological support programs aimed at restoring worldview integrity among displaced individuals and facilitating their integration into new communities. The material is also relevant for professionals in social psychology, psychotherapy, and humanitarian response

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	psychosemantics; worldview; internally displaced persons; refugees; attachment to locality; semantic differential; associative method
Subjects:	Статті у періодичних виданнях > Фахові (входять до переліку фахових, затверджений МОН)
Divisions:	Факультет психології, соціальної роботи та спеціальної освіти > Кафедра практичної психології
Depositing User:	професор О.М. Лозова
Date Deposited:	05 Dec 2025 15:00
Last Modified:	05 Dec 2025 15:00
URI:	https://elibrary.kubg.edu.ua/id/eprint/53922

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