Stereotypical Representations of Austria and Austrians among Russian University Students: Findings from a Word Association Experiment

This study investigates the cognitive representations and affective-evaluative reactions of Russians towards Austria and its people. A free word association experiment was employed as the primary methodological tool. The novelty of this research lies in the absence of a comprehensive analysis of this particular heterostereotype within the scholarly discourse. The respondent pool consisted of 103 students from three Russian universities. The experiment yielded 146 stimulus words and 340 individual reactions, which were systematized into seven thematic categories and three groups based on emotional valence (positive, neutral, negative). The findings indicate a predominantly positive perception of Austria and its inhabitants among the Russian respondents. However, a critical stance towards certain historical facts was noted. The analysis determined the frequency of stereotype mentions and the ratio of conventional to non-conventional associations. A significant prevalence of non-conventional associations (67%) was revealed; these were characterized by their individuality and sporadic occurrence, suggesting a non-homogeneous nature of the heterostereotype within the Russian youth cohort. A comparison of preliminary respondent profiling data with the association experiment results identified four overlapping thematic areas: “Culture,” “History,” “Language,” and “Contemporary Political and Socio-Economic Situation.” The elicited associations supplemented the image of Austria and Austrians with three additional categories: “Cuisine,” “Geography,” and “People.”