The Imaginary of Brazilian Adolescents in Relation to University Entrance Exams:

A Psychoanalytic Study

Abstract

Each year, thousands of Brazilian adolescents sit the vestibular (university entrance exam). This process often results in clinically significant levels of anxiety and insecurity. This study consists of a psychoanalytic investigation of the imaginary of middle class adolescents in relation to the vestibular. A group interview was conducted with nine students in the last year of high school using the Thematic Story-Drawing Procedure. An examination of the participants’ manifestations resulted in the interpretive production of two affective-emotional sense fields or relative unconscious: “individual responsibility” and “the key to success”. The findings show that there is a general belief that the ability to pass the vestibular, and thus guarantee a successful professional life, is directly related to the candidate’s academic skills and capacity. This oversimplified view ignores the importance of the social context.