Concepção e estrutura representacional sobre pessoas com deficiência em estudantes de psicologia

Abstract

This dissertation investigates the conceptions of disability and the structures of Social Representations of People with Disabilities (PwD) among psychology undergraduates, considering different normative and formative contexts. The study aims to understand how these future professionals conceive of disability and how their perspectives translate into social representations. The research is based on the assumption that university education is a critical period for the formation of social critical thinking and the development of professionals capable of argumentation, problematization, and problem-solving—professionals who are aware and transformative of reality, promoting empathy, respect for otherness, and a sense of social responsibility. The dissertation is divided into two studies, with data collected through an online instrument. Study I, which is descriptive and comparative in nature, analyzes the conceptions of disability among psychology undergraduates using the Intercultural Scale of Disability Conceptions (ISDC). The variables of interest include age, academic semester, and type of institution (public or private). Study II, of a qualitative nature, seeks to understand the structure and content of psychology students' Social Representations of disability through word evocation and analysis of an open-ended question, "In your opinion, when can we consider an individual to be a Person with a Disability?". The results of the first study indicate that conceptions of disability are more related to an individual worldview and the profile of institutions than to the period of study. The social conception of disability was prevalent, although the biological and metaphysical conceptions still persist, especially in private institutions. The results of the second study demonstrate that in a personal (normative) context, students show alignment with the principles of inclusion and accessibility; however, in a substitution (contranormative) context, stereotyped and prejudiced representations emerge. The predominance of biomedical and normative discourses indicates a discrepancy between reified knowledge and the practical internalization of these ideas. The analysis suggests the existence of a "silent zone" in students' representations, reflecting the suppression of important elements. In conclusion, the study argues for the importance of training psychologists to be sensitive to the demands of PwD and the role of higher education institutions in providing more inclusive and continuous education.