Antisocial Creativity Through Lens of Experimental Research
https://doi.org/10.24224/2227-1295-2026-15-3-169-186
Abstract
This paper examines the phenomenon of antisocial creativity as a distinctive mode of selfexpression that challenges established social and moral norms. Antisocial creativity manifests in a wide range of forms — from graffiti and vandalism to slang, rap, and digital memes — each capable of shaping perceptions of reality and influencing the evolution of social norms. The study focuses primarily on unauthorized graffiti as a salient and illustrative form of this phenomenon. The research aims to classify the thematic interpretations of graffiti through a psycholinguistic free association experiment. Photographic images of graffiti served as the primary research material. The analysis identifies key characteristics in the perception of vandalistic graffiti and proposes a thematic classification that conceptualizes this form of antisocial creativity. The findings demonstrate that the associative field surrounding graffiti is dominated by respondents’ negative evaluations, emotional responses, and expressions of individuality or protest. The thematic classification encompasses legal aspects (offenses, penalties), cultural-aesthetic dimensions (art, creativity), social contexts (youth subculture, protest), psychological factors (emotions, aggression), and economic considerations (damage, repair costs).
Supporting agencies: The study is supported by Russian Science Foundation, project number 25-18-00486 “The effects of the influence of antisocial creativity on the formation of the information and semantic field in the problematic social situation of modern human development (2025—2027)”, https://rscf.ru/project/25-18-00486
About the Authors
M. R. Babikova
Ural State Pedagogical University
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Marina R. Babikova - PhD in Philology, Department of Intercultural Communication, Rhetoric, Russian Language as a foreign
Yekaterinburg
K. V. Zlokazov
St. Petersburg University of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Kirill V. Zlokazov - Doctor of Psychology, Associate Professor, Research Department
Saint Petersburg
N. V. Meshkova
Moscow State Psychological and Pedagogical University
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Natalia V. Meshkova - PhD in Psychology, Associate Professor, leading research scientist
Moscow
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Review
For citations:
Babikova M.R., Zlokazov K.V., Meshkova N.V. Antisocial Creativity Through Lens of Experimental Research. Nauchnyi dialog. 2026;15(3):169-186. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.24224/2227-1295-2026-15-3-169-186
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