Investigating the Concept of «Flirting» as Reflected in the Russian-Speaking Ukrianians’ Linguistic Consciousness* Концепт «флірт» у мовній свідомості російськомовного населення України**

Purpose. The purpose of this study is to define and describe the semantic components of the verbalised concept «flirting» as a component of ludic competence in the linguistic consciousness of the Russian-speaking people from Eastern Ukraine. Methods. The main method of the research was a psycholinguistic experiment. The sample comprised 400 young people (aged 18–35), males and females being equally represented. Results. The experiment results proved that the concept «flirting» in the linguistic consciousness of the Russian-speaking population of Ukraine is represented by four core semantic clusters: «verbal and nonverbal means of communication» (27.75%), «forms and types of interaction» (25.25%), «emotions, feelings, states» (24.75%), and «gender» (10.5%). The peripheral clusters «romantic relationship» (4.0%) and «meeting place» (1.5%) are represented by a relatively equal number of male and female reactions. The fact that clusters on the extreme periphery are exclusively represented either by female («secret actions») or male reactions («time of year») is most probably explained by certain individual preferences in usage rather than by gender-specific tendencies. The analysis of isolated reactions allowed distinguishing the following cluster reactions: «age» (youth), «period of time» (temporality) and «time of day» (it is getting late). The associative behaviour of the respondents is characterized by a heterosexual orientation of flirting, which is reflected in the peripheral subcluster «heterosexuality» (1.25%). Conclusions. Based on the results of cluster analysis, two psycholinguistic meanings of the concept of «flirting» were described: 1. A type of courtship that does not involve sexual intimacy (90.75%) and 2. Sexual relations (4.5%). The semantic content of the concept core of «flirting» does not depend on gender identification based on the results of the analysis of female and male associative fields. The attitude of informants to the stimulus of «flirting» is emotionally positive and is characterized by positive evaluation. The comparative analysis of the verbalised concept «flirting» in the linguistic consciousness of Russian-speaking population of Ukraine and people who live in Russia revealed a wider semantic scope and prominent positive attitude to the stimulus of Ukrainian sample. In general, the evaluation of this phenomenon by Russian-speaking Концепт «флірт» у мовній свідомості російськомовного. . . 10 ©  Гордієнко-Митрофанова  Ія ,   Кобзєва  Юлія  &  Гоголь  Денис respondents in Ukraine and members of the Russian linguistic culture is presented mainly by positive and neutral reactions.


Introduction
This article continues a series of studies devoted to ludic competence/ playfulness , and one of its components is flirting.
We define ludic competence as a system of inner resources to which a person turns in order to balance their personality against external conditions of the social environment on the basis of positive emotions, interest and joy, which are frequently expressed affectively and accompanied by tension and excitement. Ludic competence is formed alongside with the development of playfulness, which is a stable personality trait, which we define as the individual creative adaptation to the reality of their own «Self» (individual identity) and to the reality of the World (social identity): every difficult situation can be faced as a challenge rather than a threat.
As a psychological phenomenon flirting and its certain aspects are covered in the works of E. Berne as a kind of light game, which implies presence of a double secret interaction of ego states (Berne, 2017) and in the works of Gangestad, as a negotiation process that takes place after an initial contribution (Rodgers, 1999). Hall (2013) identified 5 styles of flirting, Henningsen, Braz, and Davies (2008) determined 6 motives of flirting, Watzlawick (1983) defined 30 steps of flirting, «from the first eye contact to sex»; Givens (1978) and Whitty (2003) described nonverbal cues for flirting.
But since the subject of our research is ludic competence / playfulness and its components, we are especially interested in the studies where a close relationship of flirting and playfulness is shown, and playfulness is considered a highly desirable trait in potential long-term partner and romantic relationships (Chick, Yarnal & Purrington, 2012). Starting with the study of Woll (1989), playfulness is associated with different styles of sexual behaviour, certain types of affection and love, as a spontaneous, idiosyncratic «private game» aimed at stabilizing family relationship, as an important personality trait in particular when choosing a potential partner for romantic relationship (Lauer & Lauer, 2002;Fredrickson, 2003;Weber & Ruch, 2012) and in general as an evolutionarily significant characteristic when choosing a sexual partner (Chick, Yarnal & Purrington, 2012;Proyer & Wagner, 2015).
In foreign playfulness questionnaires which we know, flirting was not distinguished as a particular scale but some of its manifestations were defined. For example, relaxedness and focus on other are present in such diagnostic techniques as Playfulness Scale for Young Adults (Barnett, 2007); Adult Playfulness Trait Scale (Shen, Chick & Zinn, 2014); Other-directed, Lighthearted, Intellectual, and Whimsical playfulness (Proyer, 2017).
Flirting as an individual scale of ludic competence/playfulness was singled out in the structure of LUDIC COMPETENCE QUESTIONNAIRE (LCQ) developed in terms of psycholinguistics by Kobzieva, Gordiienko-Mytrofanova, Zuiev, and Sauta (2019). Factor analysis revealed two latent factors of playfulness and one of them, Creative communicative susceptibility, comprises the following components: flirting, sensitivity and imagination. The content of this factor reflects exclusively adult playfulness, the state of Adult (mature personality) in the terminology of E. Berne. In general, it concerns good command of verbal and non-verbal communication, freedom and creative spontaneity in difficult situations, and, in particular, well-developed skills of adaptability and self-adjustment. The latter provide quick assessment of a situation avoiding frustration and tension of Other without fear to make non-standard decisions − «to play with the situation». But «playing with the situation» always involves maintaining a balance of directness (sincerity) and courtesy (politeness), which is expressed in adequate verbalization of interests and expectations, in terms of positive psychotherapy * (Pezeshkian, 2006: 34). The questionnaire validation revealed that flirting as a scale of Playfulness has a strong positive connection with the scales of emotional intelligence: «Managing your feelings and emotions», «Controlling feelings and emotions of others», «Consciousness of feelings and emotions of others»; self-actualization: «Temporal orientation», «Values of self-actualization», «Cognitive need», «Creativity», «Rapport», and «Flexibility of communication»; and «Affiliative style of humour» (Kobzieva et al., 2019).
In the frame of our ludic competence coaching sessions we consider flirting as the ability to take attention and get on the right side of somebody of the same or the opposite gender through verbal and non-verbal communication in order to establish and maintain mutually beneficial relationships based on the feeling of emotional bond; «to promote» Other in the desired direction (Gordiienko-Mytrofanova, .
In our ludic competence coaching sessions primarily the results of the psycholinguistic experiment are in active use. They help us consider: gender-specific differences in the perception of the stimulus «flirting», emotional and evaluative attitude to it, important meanings of «flirting» for the linguistic consciousness of the Russian-speaking population of Ukraine, etc.

Methodology of Empirical Research
The aim of the present article is to use the method of applied psycholinguistic research to define semantic components of the verbalised concept «flirting» in the linguistic consciousness of young Russian-speaking people living in Ukraine.
* Courtesy means the ability to be considerate, to obey and to say «Yes» at the cost of intuitive refusal and an emotional response of fear. Directness as the ability to frankly express needs, stand up for oneself and assert oneself determines the associated risk of aggression.
In accordance with target mission the following objectives were outlined: to determine general features of the verbal behaviour * of young respondents in the framework of studying the verbalised concept «flirting»; to suggest major strategies and ways of dividing associations triggered by the stimulus «flirting» into semantic groups.

Methods and Techniques of the Research
The method of the given research is a psycholinguistic experiment, whose major part is the free association test with the stimulus word «flirting». As additional methods, we used surveys (to refine the results of the free association test) and questionnaires (to specify the characteristics of the sample). As a mathematical-statistical method for the analysis of the results, we used frequency and cluster analysis allowing us to identify tendencies in the distribution of associations expressed by the experimental group.
The free association test with the stimulus word «flirting» was conducted in a written form. Respondents were instructed to state their gender, age, education/specialisation, marital status, and write down the first five words that came to their minds somehow associated with the word «flirting».

Participants
The total number of respondents was 400 young people (age 18-35), males and females equally represented. By education, 24 per cent were undergraduates, 58 per cent had a university degree, 18 per cent completed secondary school education; by marital status, 24 per cent were married, 76 per cent were single.

Ethical Standards
The authors ensure that the study has been carried out in accordance with The Code of Ethics of the World Medical Association * In the framework of our research, verbal behaviour is applied in a rather limited way, as written reactions to the stimulus words, i.e. it is synonymous to the term «associative behaviour».
(Declaration of Helsinki) for experiments involving humans; approved by the local institutional review board (protocol № 12 of the Department of Psychology of H.S. Skovoroda Kharkiv National Pedagogical University, 23.05.2018). Written informed consent was obtained from all participants. No funding has been received during the preparation or conducting the study, nor in writing of this article.
The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose.

Results
In accordance with the objectives of the study, the results of a free associative test were processed according to the algorithm for describing psycholinguistic meaning, developed by I.A. Sternin (2011), which provides the following: (1) Building associative fields by five reactions and by the first reaction.
Frequency analysis of the free association test with the stimulus word «flirting» enabled us to build associative fields by five reactions and by the first reaction. A total of 1991 reactions were expressed by the respondents (the results of the free association test by five reactions). Out of these, 467 reactions were unique * , including 77 word combinations or complete sentences; 1710 reactions with a frequency greater than one; 281 isolated cases ** ; 0 declined to answer the question.
As far as the first reaction is concerned, the free association test with the stimulus word «flirting» yielded 400 associations, of which 102 reactions were unique, including 12 word combinations; 52 reactions with a frequency greater than one, 50 isolated cases, 0 declined to answer the question.
The comparative analysis of the associative fields (by the first and by five reactions) prompted the conclusion that the composition and nature of reactions had not changed significantly. What has changed, however, is the sequence of high-frequency reactions (cf. Figure 1), as well as the quantity of peripheral reactions and isolated cases. The latter can be easily explained by the greater number of respondents.
% of the total number of answers (n=400) % of the total number of answers (n=1991)
Females, % of the total number of answers for the first reaction (n=200) Males, % of the total number of answers for the first reaction (n=200)  The analysis of the isolated cases made it possible to single out the following semantic clusters of reactions: age (возраст) ((youth) (молодость)), «period of time» (период времени) ((temporality (временность)) and «time of day» («время суток») ((it is getting late (позднеет)).
(4) Negative reactions. The associative field of the stimulus «flirting» had a number of reactions with negative connotation * (2.0%).
* The researchers, authors of the article, coded the negative reactions using Russian dictionaries providing information about emotional connotations of words (Ozhegov & Shvedova, 2011;Yefremova, 2000;Ushakov, 1935Ushakov, -1940; e.g.. FLATTERY: subservient praise of somebody or something, hypocritical admiration for somebody or something (Yefremova, 2000). The agreement between the researchers was reached up to 95 per cent.
Peripheral clusters (less than 10 per cent, but more than 1 per cent): 5. «Romantic view of life» («Романтическое мироощущение»): romance (романтика) 10, flowers (цветы) 3, wine (вино), martini (мартини), gifts (подарки) 1 − 16 (4.0%), f. 9 (2.25%), m. 7 (1.75%). ) 1 -6 (1.5%) (6) Psycholinguistic meanings of the concept «flirting». Based on cluster analysis, the psycholinguistic meanings of the word «flirting», was described. «Psycholinguistic meaning, − according to I. Sternin,can be rightfully considered as the most adequate and reliable model of systemic word meaning reflecting the reality of linguistic consciousness of native speakers» (Sternin & Rudakova, 2011: 188). The algorithm of describing the psycholinguistic meaning implies a sequence of certain stages and was given in detail in our publications (Gordienko-Mytrofanova & Sauta, 2016). Here we dwell only on the semic interpretation of the results of the frequency analysis of the free association test to the stimulus «flirting» by the first reaction. On the stage of semic interpretation the produced reactions were interpreted as linguistic representations of the stimulus semantic components (semes). Associates that are close in meaning were grouped together, and their frequency was summed up, e.g.: play 39 [play 23, making advances 13, playfulness 3], date 15 [meeting 6, date 3], seduction 6, [seduction 4, enticement, pick-up 1], etc. The formulated semes of the outlined meanings were arranged in a connected definition of the meaning.

Discussion
Regarding the free association test with the stimulus word «flirting» in the Russian, Ukrainian and English languages, we are aware of research conducted by Russian scholars (Karaulov et al., 2002a;2002b) in the 1990s that described the results of the free association test with the stimulus word «flirting» with the sample of 104 respondents.
The respondents of the Russian sample, which is similar to ours in age are characterized by a considerable amount of reactions collocating with the stimulus «flirting» (33.3%) : light, nonsense, quick, spring, ladies', exquisite, amorous, fleeting, unpeaceful, dangerous, total, constant, delicate, hard. Although most of these reactions contain substantive information to be interpreted as individual semes, it should be noted that Ukrainian sample displays a much wider semantic scope and prominent positive attitude to the stimulus. In general, the evaluation of this phenomenon by Russian-speaking respondents in Ukraine and members of the Russian linguistic culture is presented mainly by positive and neutral reactions.
It is also important to note that the results of studying flirting as a psychological phenomenon are reflected in the everyday linguistic consciousness of Russian-speaking residents of Ukraine: 5 styles of flirting identified by Hall (2013) when studying male-female pairs of heterosexual strangers (physical, traditional, sincere, polite, playful); 6 motives of flirting (sexual, entertaining, research, social, self-assertive, instrumental) according to Henningsen, Braz, and Davies (2008). All of the above motives are represented by reactions, which made up the clusters «forms and types of interaction» (25.25%) and «emotions, feelings, states» (24.75%). Note here that the motive for developing one's own self-esteem, the self-assertive one, was translated only into a single reaction of self-realization. The claims that flirting consists mainly of non-verbal signals, according to the researchers of non-verbal communication Givens (1978), Whitty (2003), and Watzlawick (1983), also found evidence in the linguistic consciousness of the Russianspeaking people of Ukraine, in the subcluster «non-verbal means of communication» (20.75%).

Conclusions
The conducted cluster analysis has shown that the core of the verbalized concept «flirting» is represented by four semantic groups, which are represented relatively equally by male and female reactions: «verbal and non-verbal means of communication» (27.75%), «forms and types of interaction» (25.25%), «emotions, feelings, states» (24.75%), and «gender» (10.5%). Thus, the verbalized concept «flirting» is represented by lexemes that reflect mainly non-verbal communication (smile, look, kiss, touch), forms and types of interaction (play, meeting, date), lexemes expressing feelings and emotions (love, sympathy, interest, drive), as well as lexemes representing the female gender (girl, woman, lady, sly puss).
At the same time, attention is drawn to the fact that flirting in the associative behaviour of both men and women is attributed to «non-verbal means of communication» (10.5% f. / 10.25% m.). But the subcluster «verbal means of communication» is represented mainly by male reactions (5.5% m. / 1.5% f.).
Both men and women associate flirting with «seduction activity», however, the peripheral subcluster «sexual relations» is characterized by the preponderance of male reactions (3.0% m. / 1.5% f.).
Besides, the associative behaviour of the respondents is characterized by a heterosexual orientation of flirting, which is reflected in the peripheral subcluster «heterosexuality» (1.25%), as well as in the fact that men associate flirting with female gender (5.75% m. / 1.75% f.) and women, respectively, with male gender (1.5% f. / 0.25% m.).
The peripheral clusters «romantic relationship» (4.0%) and «meeting place» (1.5%) are represented by a relatively equal number of male and female reactions. The analysis of isolated cases made it possible to single out the following semantic cluster reactions: age (youth), «period of time» (temporality) and «time of day» (it is getting late).
The analysis of the obtained results also showed that flirting and intercourse are not inextricably entwined in the linguistic consciousness of the Russian-speaking inhabitants of Ukraine. The sexual motive of flirting was reflected in the peripheral semantic subclusters «sexual relations» (4.5%) and «seduction activity» (1.5%).
Based on the results of cluster analysis, two psycholinguistic meanings of the stimulus word «flirting» were described: (1). A type of courtship that does not involve sexual intimacy and (2). Sexual relations. Psycholinguistic meanings made it possible to reveal the semantics of the concept «flirting» as a unit of the psychological reality of linguistic consciousness of the Russian-speaking young inhabitants of Ukraine including a vast semantic periphery of meanings, as well as semantic components of linguistic and cultural nature that cannot be revealed by traditional methods of semantic analysis (Sternin & Rudakova, 2011: 188).
The semantic content of the concept core of «flirting» does not depend on gender identity based on the results of the analysis of female and male associative fields. The fact that clusters on the extreme periphery are exclusively represented either by female («secret actions») or male reactions («time of year») is most probably explained by certain individual preferences in usage rather than by gender-specific tendencies. Based on the analysis of the reactions with negative connotation, the attitude of informants to the stimulus «flirting» is emotionally positive and it is characterized by its positive evaluation.
Comparative analysis of the verbalized concept «flirting» in the linguistic consciousness of Russian-speaking people of Ukraine and inhabitants of Russia suggests that the semantic content of the concept «flirting» is much wider in the linguistic consciousness of Ukrainian respondents. The national and typological perception of the concept «flirting» at this stage of the study was revealed in the fact that, firstly, «flirting» is described by the lexeme expressing a feeling of stable emotional appeal to someone (sympathy), while a significant part of the reactions of Russian respondents is represented by reactions of collocation (easy). Secondly, flirting in the associative behaviour of Ukrainian respondents is characterized by heterosexual orientation.
In conclusion, we note that the linguistic consciousness of Russian-speaking inhabitants of Ukraine reflected the research findings of Hall (2013) (flirting styles), Henningsen, Braz, and Davies (2008) (flirting motives), as well as non-verbal communication specialists, Givens (1978), Whitty (2003), Watzlawick (1983), who claim that flirting consists mainly of non-verbal cues. We singled out the subcluster «non-verbal means of communication» that reaches 20.75% of all reactions.
This study belongs to a number of research works devoted to the analysis and description of the concepts of culture and national linguistic view of the world, therefore, we see the prospect of further research in conducting a comprehensive study of the verbalized concept «flirting» in the Ukrainian everyday linguistic consciousness, which implies its study in the linguistic consciousness of Ukrainian-speaking Ukrainians.