DYNAMICS OF ASSOCIATIVE REPRESENTATIONS OF CORRUPTION AMONG HIGHER EDUCATION STUDENTS: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS FOR 2024–2025.

Abstract

The article examines higher education students’ associative representations of corruption and analyzes their dynamics over 2024–2025. The relevance of the study is driven by the need for a deeper understanding of the cognitive models through which young people interpret cor- rupt practices and form their attitudes toward integrity amid intensive societal transformations. The aim of the article is to identify changes in students’ associative responses and to determine the semantic tendencies that characterize perceptions of corruption at different stages of study. The empirical basis consists of survey results from first- and second-year bachelor’s students (n = 178 in 2024) and first-year students (n = 95 in 2025), collected through the free-association method using the Mentimeter platform. Frequency analysis and content-analytical clustering were applied, allowing the identification of seven semantic groups of associations. The study found that the financial–material dimension of corruption (“bribe,” “money”) consistently dominates in both years, whereas in 2024 the associative field was substantially broader, encompassing polit- ical–administrative, legal, and ethical–moral categories. In 2025, a narrowing of the semantic field was observed along with a decrease in legal and moral associations, which may indicate a less developed cognitive structure among first-year students. The comparative analysis revealed a tendency toward a simplification of corruption-related representations among new student cohorts while confirming the stability of central semantic elements. The scientific novelty lies in conducting a comparative analysis of student associative representations across two consecutive years, which made it possible to trace the dynamics of cognitive models over a short time span. The practical significance of the results is reflected in their applicability for improving anti-cor- ruption education, designing educational interventions, and shaping students’ value orientations toward integrity