El color en los sueños de personas con y sin discapacidad visualcreencias y experiencias

Abstract

This doctoral thesis investigates the presence of color in the dreams of people with and without visual disabilities, as well as the beliefs about it between both groups. For this, two different studies are carried out. The first aims at knowing and revealing the beliefs or opinions of children, adolescents and adults without visual impairment about whether people with visual disabilities dream of color, and which colors appear the most in their dreams, as well as in their own, in addition to observing whether the age group affects those beliefs or opinions. The second study focuses on investigating whether the person with and without visual impairment believes that they see color in their pleasant and unpleasant dreams, finding out if that color appears in a general or specific way in the scene, presenting a list of the colors that appear the most, and observing whether there are significant differences between the groups of participants. The methodology used for this study was methodological triangulation, and qualitative and quantitative research were simultaneously combined. Two questionnaires were designed (one for each study). The sample of the first study consisted of 462 people without visual impairment (131 children, 133 adolescents and 198 adults). And the sample of the second study consisted of 58 adults with and without visual impairment (29 people without visual impairment and 29 people with visual impairment, more specifically people with acquired blindness and visual impairment or low vision. The main conclusions of each study are: Study 1: Beliefs of people without visual impairment - Children and adolescents do believe that people with visual impairment (congenital blindness, acquired blindness and visual impairment or low vision) dream in color; they select black, white and gray as the most predominant colors in these people's dreams. Adults report having doubts; those who do believe that they dream in color also choose black, white and gray. Regarding dreaming in color, significant differences are observed, mainly between the group of adults with that of children and adolescents. The results suggest that age can affect these beliefs. - In relation to their dreams, the three groups claim to dream in color; no significant differences were observed between the groups of participants. Children select blues, greens, and yellows as the colors that appear most in their dreams; the adolescents the blues, blacks and greens; and adults say they don't know. Study 2: Dream experiences described by people with and without visual impairment: - People with visual impairment believe they visualize color in their pleasant dreams, but do not know it for their unpleasant dreams; in both dreams the color appears in a general way. People without visual impairment believe they see color in both dreams; color appears generally in the scene. In both statements no statistically significant difference is observed. With this it could be deduced that the type of visual impairment does not affect the visualization of color in dreams, but it does affect the type of dream. - A list of dominant colors in pleasant and unpleasant dreams cannot be presented for the dreams of visually impaired people because they state they do not know it. Non-visually impaired participants do remember the colors in their pleasant dreams, selecting blue, green, white and brown as predominant. On the contrary, for their unpleasant dreams they declare to have doubts about it. - Regarding the least-remembered colour in pleasant and unpleasant dreams, the three groups of participants claim to not know it, not being able to present a list. - In unpleasant dreams, black color is more prevalent in all groups of participants. Abstract This doctoral thesis investigates the presence of color in the dreams of people with and without visual disabilities, as well as the beliefs about it between both groups. For this, two different studies are carried out. The first aims at knowing and revealing the beliefs or opinions of children, adolescents and adults without visual impairment about whether people with visual disabilities dream of color, and which colors appear the most in their dreams, as well as in their own, in addition to observing whether the age group affects those beliefs or opinions. The second study focuses on investigating whether the person with and without visual impairment believes that they see color in their pleasant and unpleasant dreams, finding out if that color appears in a general or specific way in the scene, presenting a list of the colors that appear the most, and observing whether there are significant differences between the groups of participants. The methodology used for this study was methodological triangulation, and qualitative and quantitative research were simultaneously combined. Two questionnaires were designed (one for each study). The sample of the first study consisted of 462 people without visual impairment (131 children, 133 adolescents and 198 adults). And the sample of the second study consisted of 58 adults with and without visual impairment (29 people without visual impairment and 29 people with visual impairment, more specifically people with acquired blindness and visual impairment or low vision. The main conclusions of each study are: Study 1: Beliefs of people without visual impairment - Children and adolescents do believe that people with visual impairment (congenital blindness, acquired blindness and visual impairment or low vision) dream in color; they select black, white and gray as the most predominant colors in these people's dreams. Adults report having doubts; those who do believe that they dream in color also choose black, white and gray. Regarding dreaming in color, significant differences are observed, mainly between the group of adults with that of children and adolescents. The results suggest that age can affect these beliefs. - In relation to their dreams, the three groups claim to dream in color; no significant differences were observed between the groups of participants. Children select blues, greens, and yellows as the colors that appear most in their dreams; the adolescents the blues, blacks and greens; and adults say they don't know. Study 2: Dream experiences described by people with and without visual impairment: - People with visual impairment believe they visualize color in their pleasant dreams, but do not know it for their unpleasant dreams; in both dreams the color appears in a general way. People without visual impairment believe they see color in both dreams; color appears generally in the scene. In both statements no statistically significant difference is observed. With this it could be deduced that the type of visual impairment does not affect the visualization of color in dreams, but it does affect the type of dream. - A list of dominant colors in pleasant and unpleasant dreams cannot be presented for the dreams of visually impaired people because they state they do not know it. Non-visually impaired participants do remember the colors in their pleasant dreams, selecting blue, green, white and brown as predominant. On the contrary, for their unpleasant dreams they declare to have doubts about it. - Regarding the least-remembered colour in pleasant and unpleasant dreams, the three groups of participants claim to not know it, not being able to present a list. - In unpleasant dreams, black color is more prevalent in all groups of participants.