The article discusses the functioning of a concept from a linguosynergetic perspective as a spontaneous equipment of the structure of a homeostatic hierarchical complex organized as an open nonlinear system. The research is aimed to investigate the DEATH concept functioning from a linguosynergetic perspective and develop a model for understanding the synergistic interplay of linguistic and contextual factors in the conceptualization of death. To develop the main research hypothesis, general scientific methods like analysis, synthesis, induction, deduction, abstraction, explanation, and description are used. This system is characterized as an open one because it constantly interacts with the external world and is nonlinear, meaning that it has various options for development at the bifurcation point, but only one is chosen. This continuous process of structuring is known as emergence, which means the concept can adapt to new meanings based on the realities of the world around it. Emergence is a result of the selforganizing mechanism, where the system is reorganized and spontaneously equipped with elements that allow it to move to a new level of operation, while maintaining balance by outputting information from the system’s boundaries. However, the system is also influenced by external factors, which can cause conflict and lead to further reorganization. As a result, the emergence process is ongoing and dynamic, with the structure being both a consequence and a cause of the system`s development. Thus, the principle of self-organization, which is the key concept of synergetics, is founded on the notion of instability. In essence, self-organization refers to the spontaneous emergence of order in a system, which results from the interactions and interrelationships between the system`s components. As such, the concept of self-organization is closely linked to the idea of nonlinearity, which posits that small changes in the system`s components can lead to significant changes in the system`s behavior as a whole. In other words, the behavior of the system as a whole is not simply a sum of the behaviors of its individual components, but is instead an emergent property that arises from the complex interactions between those components. The formation of a new system is not merely a sum of its individual parts. This is, due to the way in which the components of the system connect with one another, a phenomenon known as coherence. Coherence acts as a means to coordinate the various components of the system so that they work together in harmony, rather than independently. Additionally, the system`s components change at different rates and are of varying quality. This process is responsible for the system`s evolutionary nature and reinforces the principle of evolutionary holism in synergetics. This principle is concerned with understanding the mechanisms by which the system`s components come together to form a whole. In summary, the concept is formed in the human mind through a collection of thoughts, which can take on various forms such as lexical and semantic fields, modes, frames, and emotions. The specific form the concept takes depends on the level at which the bifurcation point impacts the fluctuation of the conceptual structure and discursive environment. Essentially, the concept arises from a system that is in an unstable state and is subject to fluctuations that threaten its structure. When the system reaches the bifurcation point, the individual selects one of the possible models for the concept`s development, and this results in a transition from “chaos” to “order” as the concept gains verbal representation. The activation of a concept in one`s cognition occurs at different intensities and is dependent on several factors. These factors include the individual’s level of knowledge about the concept, their principles and beliefs, their interests, their life experiences, as well as extralinguistic factors. The activation of a concept can occur in varying degrees, with some individuals having a more profound understanding of a concept compared to others. Additionally, the process of concept activation can be influenced by external factors such as societal norms and cultural beliefs. Therefore, the way in which a person perceives and activates a concept is a complex and individualized process, influenced by both internal and external factors.

The article focuses on linguosynergetic aspects of a concept as a cardinal unit of the conceptual picture of the world. This notion is so far the central and most controversial concept of modern linguistics, characterized by ambiguity of its interpretation, which indicates the diversity of its features and properties. The research deals with the structure of a concept aiming at making up such a universal model which would cater for all aspects and peculiarities of concept in linguistics. We believe that any definition of the concept should be embedded in its structure and correlate with all its features and properties. We state that structuring the concept in the form of a linguosynergetic model highlights not only the characteristics of the “original”, the hierarchy of its components, but the change of modes of its existence due to the fact that linguosynergertics suggests unique language of concept investigation. Guided by the laws of synergetics, we have built an integral scientific linguistic-synergetic model of the concept. Using the categorical-conceptual apparatus of synergetics in linguistics, we explained the mechanisms of self-regulation of the concept as a spontaneous equipment of the structure of a homeostatic hierarchical complex organized open nonlinear system. During the study, we proved the fractality of the concept and came to the conclusion that the fractality of the concept is manifested in the self-similarity of its structural elements: lexical-semantic variants (microfractals) in the process of their functioning can grow indefinitely thematically and become more complicated (or, conversely, collapse), while leaving an organized form. Recursiveness (recurrence) is manifested at the level of content (repeating the topic) and at the level of its reflection (repeating the form of presentation of information). Each microfractal can function autonomously. At the same time, the property of selfsimilarity ensures the fulfillment of the law of unity in diversity and generates a holistic perception of the concept.

викладач кафедри англійської філології та лінгводидактики Сумського державного педагогічного університету імені А. С. Макаренка ORCID ID: 0000-0002-6707-9791 У статті обґрунтовано доцільність використання асоціативного експерименту під час дослідження лінгвокогнітивних концептів. Доведено, що при дослідженні концептів повинно враховувати мовні стереотипи, особливості національного менталітету, що виявляється за допомогою такого психолінгвістичного методу, як асоціативний експеримент. Проаналізовано, яким чином за ланцюгом слово-стимул -реакція можна визначити організацію концепту у свідомості індивіда, узагальнити дані респондентів і вибудовати образ загального мовця, зробити висновок щодо місця концепту у національному менталітеті, порівняти отримані дані з теоретико-лінгвістичним дослідженням концепту. Розглянуто такі дотичні поняття, як слово-стимул, асоціації, мовна свідомість, мовна картина світу, асоціативне поле, валідність експерименту. Систематизовано процедуру проведення дослідження, що відбувається за допомогою статистично оброблених результатів масового експерименту на вільні вербальні асоціації, коли інтерпретуються зміст і форми реакції на слово-стимул. Окреслено мету асоціативного експерименту -дослідити ментальний лексикон носіїв мови. Проаналізовано види асоціацій і зроблено висновок, що асоціація дає можливість розвинути питання, пов'язані із засобами зберігання знань, процесів породження і розуміння мовлення, організації внутрішнього лексикону і генетичної пам'яті індивіда. Акцентовано увагу на недоліках асоціативного експерименту, таких як формування списку слів-стимулів, їхня кількість та кількість респондентів, урахування їхніх соціометричних даних, щоб асоціативний експеримент був неупередженим та валідним; відображення актуальних лише на момент проведення експерименту асоціацій, і як наслідок, репрезентація тільки певного етапу мовного розвитку носіїв певного територіального мовного різновиду. Підтверджено важливість асоціативного експерименту для дослідження внутрішнього ментального світу людини; для конструювання мережі асоціацій у свідомості індивіда та національної свідомості. Ключові слова: слово-стимул, асоціації, мовна свідомість, мовна картина світу, асоціативне поле, валідність експерименту. Molhamova Liliia. Associative experiment as an empirical method of linguocognitive concepts researchThe article substantiates the expediency of using an associative experiment during the study of linguistic-cognitive concepts. It is proven that when researching concepts, one should take into account language stereotypes, features of the national mentality, which is revealed with the help of such a psycholinguistic method as an associative experiment. It is analyzed how the word-stimulus-reaction chain can determine the organization of the concept in the mind of the individual, summarize the respondents' data and build an image of the general speaker, draw a conclusion about the place of the concept in the national mentality, compare the obtained data with the theoretical-linguistic research of...

The article systematizes the main methodological aspects of the study of conceptual metaphor. Attention is focused on solving the following tasks: to reveal the essence of ‘conceptual metaphor’, to determine the types of conceptual metaphor, to systematize the methodological aspects of the study of conceptual metaphor. It is argued that metaphor is a cognitive tool that allows to present an abstract concept difficult for comprehensionthrough another more empirically studied concept. The cognitive-linguistic view of metaphor is considered, according to which metaphor works atthree levels: supra-individual, individual and sub-individual. The supra-individual level corresponds to how a given language and culture reflect decontextualized metaphorical patterns,itcorrelates with the level of domains and frames. The individual level corresponds to the metaphorical cognitive system used by individual speakers, correlates with the use of mental processes in mental space, when universal aspects of the meaning of metaphorical expression in a particular communicative situation contains the most specific information acquiredwith experience. The sub-individual level corresponds to the universal aspects of various kinds of embodiment, corresponds to the level of image-schemes, generalizing models of which help to explain the meaning of abstract concepts. Conceptual metaphors connect abstract concepts with physical ones (based on perception), as a result of which the conceptual system becomes embodied, thoroughly based on perception. It is concluded that concepts consist of metaphorical structures that we have in our long-term memory and that provide a conceptual substrate of meaning in general and meaning ofa particular language in particular. Image-schemes, domains and frames, taken together, constitute the content of concepts, which gets an emotional color in the mental space of each individual speaker