Acme in Personal Values and Meanings (Age Aspect)

It is noted in the article that inclusion of the notion «acme» (designating summits in the development and most productive periods of human life) in the active vocabulary of many people actualizes revealing of the specificity of his personal meanings and place of acme in the system of values. The results of empirical study of everyday understanding of acme carried out with the use of the subjective scaling and semantic differential are given in it. Generals and particulars in the subjective interrelations of the notion «acme» with semantically near words in representatives of different age groups is shown. It is revealed that in respondents «adolescents» (aged 19 and younger) an acme image to a larger extent is associated with external achievements than with changes in the inner world, and in respondents «adults» (above 19 years of age) these components are presented in a more balanced manner. The values nearest to the notion «acme» and determining the specificity of its interpretation in humans of different age are outlined. It is determined that the notion «acme» in both age groups is inferior by significance to the majority of personality values, and also interrelations between the personality significance of acme and the human value preferences are shown. On the basis of the factor analysis a latent structure of possible meanings of the acme phenomenon is presented. Some causes of the age differences in the images of acme, level of its significance and also preferences in the spheres of its achievement are discussed.