PSYCHOSEMANTIC FEATURES OF LEGAL CONSCIOUSNESS OF SPECIALISTS IN DIFFERENT LEGAL PROFESSIONS

Abstract

The purpose of the study is to identify structural differences in the psychosemantic organization of legal consciousness among specialists in various legal professions. The research also aims to clarify the foundations through which legal norms are interpreted in practical activity. The study focuses on internal semantic constructs that determine the evaluation of legal situations and guide behavioral decisions. The methodology involves a comparative empirical design with respondents grouped according to their professional affiliation. The sample includes representatives of judicial, адвокатської, prosecutorial, investigative, and human rights practices. Data collection was carried out using a modified semantic differential, repertory grids, and scales for assessing motivational and normative orientations. Factor analysis was applied to identify latent structures, while multidimensional scaling was used to reconstruct semantic relations between legal categories. The results demonstrate the presence of stable semantic axes that differentiate legal consciousness depending on professional roles. Some respondents show a dominant orientation toward procedural certainty and formal consistency of decisions. Other groups construct evaluations through individual circumstances and the protection of personal interests. A distinction is also identified between approaches aimed at maintaining legal order and those focused on correcting imbalances in legal relations. Professional experience and institutional conditions alter the structure of cognitive constructs and shape different models of legal interpretation. The practical significance lies in the possibility of applying the results to improve legal education programs and to develop tools for assessing professional thinking. The proposed approaches can be integrated into continuing professional development and internal quality control of legal practice. The scientific novelty of the study lies in presenting legal consciousness as a structured system of semantic coordinates formed under the influence of professional activity and determining the specificity of decision-making in legal practice