Wheelchair Sport as a Mechanism for Altering the Perceptions of the Nondisabled Regarding Their Disabled Peers' Competence

Authors

  • Bradley Noble Hedrick

Keywords:

Mainstreaming, Perceived Competence, Physical Disability, Self-Efficacy, Wheelchair Tennis, Attitudes.

Abstract

This study investigated the effect of participation in an instructional tennis program with
physically disabled peers on the perceptions of significantly more skilled nondisabled
adolescents regarding the tennis efficacy and the general, social, cognitive and physical
competence of their physically disabled peers. Disabled coactors were introduced at various
points throughout the learning and performance treatment stages to assess the effect of
their variable presence on the perceptions ofthe nondisabled subjects. Results revealed that
early integration ofthe sport context with disabled and nondisabled peers who are characterized
by significantly different levels of ability, can be detrimental to the nondisabled
subject's perceptions regarding the sport-specific competence of their disabled peers. A
directional trend was found which supports the contention that improving the nondisabled
subjects' perceptions ofthe sport-specific efficacy oftheir disabled peers may enhance their
perceptions of their disabled peers' general physical competence. However, this relationship
was not statistically significant. Also, the confounding use of a proficient adult wheelchair
tennis instructor in the homogeneous learning sessions requires that future studies be
carried out to corroborate these findings.

Published

1986-10-01

Issue

Section

Research Papers