The following abstract are in PDF form.
Exploring the Perspectives of Able-Bodied Athletes in Wheelchair Basketball
The purpose of this study was to explore reverse integration from the perspectives of female, able-bodied wheelchair basketball athletes. This is a follow-up to the study by Spencer-Cavaliere et al. (in preparation) that looked at the perspectives of classifiable women athletes. As with this previous study, athletic identity, or an individual’s identification with the role of athlete, served as the foundation to investigate reverse integration. According to Brewer, Van Raalte & Linder (1993) athletic identity is positively associated with increased motivation, sport performance improvement, and developing a salient sense of self, but negatively associated with exclusivity of identify. Issues related to differences between athletes with and without disabilities as revealed in the initial study were also explored.