Loading...
Publication
O medo do escuro na infância e a distinção fantasia-realidade
| Name: | Description: | Size: | Format: | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 809.95 KB | Adobe PDF |
Authors
Advisor(s)
Abstract(s)
O medo do escuro, especialmente em idades precoces, é uma resposta emocional normal e expectável. Nesta fase, é comum que as crianças tenham dificuldade em distinguir fantasia de realidade, o que contribui para a interpretação imaginativa de sombras, sons ou objetos indistintos como perigos iminentes. No entanto, supõe-se que a ausência de uma clara distinção entre fantasia e realidade, em crianças mais velhas, poderá alimentar receios irracionais e prolongar o medo do escuro além do que seria considerado uma etapa normal do desenvolvimento infantil. Apesar desta potencial ligação, os estudos que avaliam diretamente a associação entre a dificuldade em distinguir fantasia de realidade e o medo persistente do escuro são ainda escassos, deixando uma importante área de investigação em aberto. Neste contexto, tivemos como principal objetivo avaliar a prevalência do medo do escuro e a sua relação com a capacidade de distinção entre fantasia e realidade em 84 crianças portuguesas, com idades compreendidas entre 7 e 10 anos. Ao contrário das nossas expectativas, os resultados mostraram a ausência de associação entre estas variáveis. No entanto, verificou-se que o medo do escuro se mantém estável ao longo da faixa etária estudada, sendo mais marcado nas meninas, que surge com maior frequência quando as crianças estão sozinhas, dentro de casa. Observamos também que este medo aumenta quando as crianças são expostas a imagens, filmes e outros recursos externos. Estes resultados sugerem que a compreensão acerca da persistência dos medos infantis exige uma abordagem multifatorial, integrando tanto aspetos cognitivos quanto emocionais e culturais, sublinhando a necessidade de mais investigação sobre os fatores que perpetuam o medo do escuro na infância.
The fear of the dark, especially in early ages, is a normal and expected emotional response. At this stage, it is common for children to struggle to distinguish fantasy from reality, which contributes to the imaginative interpretation of shadows, sounds, or indistinct objects as imminent dangers. However, the absence of a clear distinction between fantasy and reality in older children can fuel irrational fears and prolong the fear of the dark beyond what would be considered a normal stage of child development. Despite this potential link, studies that directly assess the association between the difficulty in distinguishing fantasy from reality and persistent fear of the dark are still scarce, leaving an important area of research open. In this context, our main goal was to assess the prevalence of fear of the dark and its relationship with the ability to distinguish between fantasy and reality in 84 Portuguese children, aged between 7 and 10 years. Contrary to our expectations, the results showed a non-significant association between these variables. However, it was found that fear of the dark remains stable throughout the studied age range, is more pronounced in girls, occurs more frequently when children are alone but at home, and increases when children are exposed to images, films, and other external resources. These results suggest that understanding the persistence of childhood fears requires a multifactorial approach, integrating cognitive, emotional, and cultural aspects, highlighting the need for further research on the factors that perpetuate the fear of the dark in childhood.
The fear of the dark, especially in early ages, is a normal and expected emotional response. At this stage, it is common for children to struggle to distinguish fantasy from reality, which contributes to the imaginative interpretation of shadows, sounds, or indistinct objects as imminent dangers. However, the absence of a clear distinction between fantasy and reality in older children can fuel irrational fears and prolong the fear of the dark beyond what would be considered a normal stage of child development. Despite this potential link, studies that directly assess the association between the difficulty in distinguishing fantasy from reality and persistent fear of the dark are still scarce, leaving an important area of research open. In this context, our main goal was to assess the prevalence of fear of the dark and its relationship with the ability to distinguish between fantasy and reality in 84 Portuguese children, aged between 7 and 10 years. Contrary to our expectations, the results showed a non-significant association between these variables. However, it was found that fear of the dark remains stable throughout the studied age range, is more pronounced in girls, occurs more frequently when children are alone but at home, and increases when children are exposed to images, films, and other external resources. These results suggest that understanding the persistence of childhood fears requires a multifactorial approach, integrating cognitive, emotional, and cultural aspects, highlighting the need for further research on the factors that perpetuate the fear of the dark in childhood.
Description
Keywords
Medo do escuro Fantasia e realidade Ansiedade Desenvolvimento cognitivo