Color Psychology: Do you think colors affect emotions, appetites, or energy levels? Plenty of people seem to think so, as evident from all the advice out there on what wall color will best induce relaxation in your bedroom, what color can stimulate learning in schools, and even what color might reduce aggression among prisoners. Although psychologists have been researching color since the early 20th century, findings have been mixed, for the most part. Different cultures have different interpretations of color. This means, for example, that research findings on differences in gender responses to color may only apply to individuals who share the same cultural background as the research participants. In spite of the fact that color research is often viewed with skepticism by traditional psychologists, it remains an interesting topic to consider.

Cultures and Color: Ancient Egyptian and Chinese peoples believed strongly in the healing power of color and light, a practice known as chromotherapy. Since color represents split light, and light contains energy, the premise behind chromotherapy is that colors and light can be used to restore balance in the energy fields of our bodies. Cultures do seem to share some common meanings of color. Green usually means nature, health, and harmony, while blue often stands for stability and intelligence. On the other hand, in Western cultures, the color symbolic of death and mourning is black; in Eastern cultures, it is white. Yellow symbolizes joy and light in many cultures; in others, it represents aging and decay.

Deaf People and Colors: While research has found visual perception differences between Deaf and hearing people, when it comes to color perception, there are more similarities than differences between the two groups. What do you think about colors? What color was your room when you were growing up and did it affect your mood? If you grew up in a dorm room, what color was it? Do you think it was painted that color on purpose (i.e., color psychology) or did your school just make use of a bulk donation of paint? In your opinion, is there any difference between Deaf and hearing people regarding colors?

As for which color being tested on jail walls, with mixed results, the recommendation from color “experts”: pink!

Call for Participants: If you are a Deaf woman who was sexually molested as a child by your brother, you may be interested in participating in a research study being conducted by our friend, Risa Shaw. Risa is the editor of Not Child’s Play: An Anthology on Brother-Sister Incest, one of the very few books on this topic. Below is some information about the study, as well as contact information.

The women in the study need to meet the following criteria:

1. The Deaf women need to be native ASL users (grew up in a Deaf family and/or attended a residential school for the Deaf)

2. They all need to have the experience of childhood sexual abuse where they were sexually molested by their brother when they were a child;

3. They need to have talked with one or more of their family members about the sexual abuse; and

4. They need to have a support network upon which they will rely, before, during, and after their participation in this study.

What’s Involved: As participants in the study, two Deaf women will have a conversation with one another about having told one or more of their family members about their brother sexually assaulting them. They will not be asked to discuss the sexual abuse per se. This conversation will last approximately one hour and will take place in a location that is comfortable and convenient for the two women. The conversation will be videotaped, but no one else will be in the room for the conversation, only the two women will be there. The women’s identity will be kept strictly confidential. All participants will be asked to choose a pseudonym that will be in all written material. No other identifying information will be used. The location of the conversation will depend on who the study participants are and where they live. Travel and lodging costs will be paid by the researcher, although there will be no direct payment for participation.

Participants will also be asked to participate in an interview done by a Deaf study-interviewer. This will be done at a later date.

Then, at an even later date, Risa will have a conversation with each of these women (separately) about their earlier conversations. Each woman will be able to watch her videotape conversation and interview if she wishes, ask questions, provide clarification, and discuss any parts of the earlier conversations.

For More Information: Risa Shaw can be contacted at Risa.Shaw@yahoo.com. Feel free to ask her any questions, suggest names of others who might be interested, or express your interest in participating. Risa is happy to answer any questions people have about participating, and about her study in general.

Bringing Issues to the Table: The November ASC Newsletter is out, featuring articles on expressing gratitude, coping with eating disorders, and dealing with grief and loss during the holidays. No matter how much you may love your family, if you are a Deaf person heading to a family gathering where no one signs and where you are more likely than not to miss half of the dinner table conversation, frustration and old wounds may arise. Check out Deaf Thanksgiving for an alternative, next-day celebration.

Our Gratitude: Thanks to all of you who have made room in your lives for ASC on the Couch. We truly appreciate your thoughtful comments and questions related to our posts. As always, please feel free to comment or email us anytime. We’d love to hear from you. In the meantime, we wish you a Happy Thanksgiving and restful long weekend.

Coming Next Month: ASC’s licensed psychotherapist, Sharon Duchesneau, will be leading another Deaf Women’s Support Group in Washington D.C. The group is sponsored by DAWN: Deaf Abused Women’s Network. If you are a woman currently in an abusive relationship (including emotional, physical, financial, or sexual abuse) or have experienced an abusive relationship in the past…if your partner is threatening to hurt you if you try to leave…if you want to learn more about healthy intimate relationships – this Deaf Women’s Support Group may be for you.

Deaf Women’s Support Group

Tuesdays 12:00-1:00 PM
Starts December 5, 2006
8 Weeks

Email or call DAWN for more information
(Because of confidentiality, location will be given after registration)

TTY: 202-861-0258

Fax: 202-466-3226

Email: info15@deafdawn.org

24-Hour TTY Hotline: 866-290-DAWN (3296)

Deaf Women and Violence: Sadly, the Deaf community is not immune to violence against women. People magazine’s 1994 article on sexual assaults on the Gallaudet campus points out some of the major issues our community faces concerning violence. These include, but are not limited to, communication and administrative barriers to reporting assaults, fear of tarnishing the image of the Deaf community, and lack of education and awareness for Deaf men and women about sexual assault. You can also check out this link to read more about safety and sexual assault education issues at Gallaudet University.