THE STRUCTURE AND CONTENT OF SOCIAL PERCEPTION IMAGES IN THE CONSCIOUS OF FOSTER MOTHERS

Abstract

This article examines the problem of the image of a foster child in the representations of foster mothers. The goal of the work is to determine the structural features of the foster mother's I-image, the You-image of the foster child. Research hypothesis - the structure and content of I-images and images of foster children are statistically and qualitatively related. Study participants were 78 people, foster mothers aged 29-66 years (М=49,64; SD=7,54). Based on the results of the empirical study, structural and content features were revealed in the ideas of foster mothers about themselves and their foster children. There are differences in the components of images: social intelligence (p≤0,05), behavioral (p≤0,05), bodily (p≤0,05), neutral (p≤0.05), negative (p≤0,05). Correlations were established between the characteristics of the images reflecting attitudes toward a person. Comparison of social-perceptual images in structure and content indicates the similarity of the I-images of mothers with the You-images of their foster children. The results obtained are based on a single mechanism for the development of socio-perceptual images. Foster mothers choose a child and build interaction with him/her, relying not so much on the reflection of real personal features of the child, as on their own ideas about themselves, on their I-concept.