). Other researchers have linked athletic failure to increased depression and anger ( Jones & Sheffield, 2008 ). Researchers have begun to examine the emotional experiences of Paralympians (e.g., Martin et al., 2019 ; Matsumoto & Willingham, 2009 ). Martin et al. ( 2019 ) reported that medal won and
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Jeffrey Martin
Nima Dehghansai and Joseph Baker
sport participation has led to various initiatives, targeting to increase sport participation for individuals with an impairment. Recently, the Canadian Paralympic Committee (CPC) began a new initiative— Paralympian Search —which is held across Canada, three or four times a year, with the purpose of
Fallon R. Mitchell, Paula M. van Wyk, and Sara Santarossa
.e., highly organized and competitive activities), while the Paralympics and Paralympians may be associated with pleasure and participation (i.e., broader, more loosely defined activities; Curry et al., 2002 ), despite athletes with a disability often devoting equal time and effort as able-bodied athletes to improving
“Beez” Lea Ann Schell and Stephanie Rodriguez
Socially constructed ideals regarding gender, sexuality, and corporeality often work to constrain efforts by marginalized groups to claim subjectivity through participation in sport. Increased participation in sport by female athletes has generated increased attention by national and international sport media. Though this might be thought of as a positive consequence, some researchers find that mainstream media contribute to dominant ideologies that depict sport as primarily a male (and nondisabled) domain. The purpose of this paper is to explore, through the example of Paralympian Hope Lewellen, how a woman athlete with a disability may claim subjectivity through sport, thereby subverting stereotypic concepts of gender and disability. Further, we analyze how the sport media simultaneously works to repress Lewellen’s subversive potential by portraying her in stereotypical ableist ways.
Jeffrey Martin, Mario Vassallo, Jacklyn Carrico, and Ellen Armstrong
reactions to athletes’ Olympic performances are limited (e.g., Fernández-Dols & Ruiz-Belda, 1995 ; Matsumoto & Willingham, 2006 ; Medvec, Madey, & Gilovich, 1995 ; van Osch, Zeelenberg, & Breugelmans, 2016 ) and studies on Paralympians emotional reactions to competitive performances are bereft with one
Rachael C. Stone, Shane N. Sweet, Marie-Josée Perrier, Tara MacDonald, Kathleen A. Martin Ginis, and Amy E. Latimer-Cheung
–sport stereotype literature has only examined participation in recreational sport (i.e., “nonelite” participants motivated by fun, health, and competition) as opposed to participants in more elite levels of sport, such as Paralympians or Olympians, who are often believed to represent the pinnacle of achievement in
Lea Ann “Beez” Schell and Margaret Carlisle Duncan
We examined the landmark American television coverage of the 1996 Paralympic Games. Using a methodological framework developed by Duncan (1983, 1986) and drawing on critical concepts in the disability literature, we conducted a content analysis of the entire 4-hr prerecorded broadcast. Empowering and disempowering portrayals of athletes were identified. Some commentary contained many examples of stereotyping and positioned Paralympians as victims of misfortune, as different, as Other. Other commentary characterized Paralympians as “normal” and as no different from nondisabled athletes. The brevity of the coverage, the poor production values, and the absence of commentary about rules, strategies, and physical mastery suggested that the Paralympic Games were less than, not parallel to, the Olympics. A “hierarchy of (social) acceptability” was useful in explaining differences among the way Paralympic athletes were portrayed by television coverage.
Ik Young Chang, Jane Crossman, Jane Taylor, and Diane Walker
This study compared and explored the textual coverage of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games (OG) and Paralympic Games (PG) by the Canadian newspaper The Globe and Mail. The authors found 8 high-order themes and 25 low-order themes for the OG. The high-order themes were predicting game results, reporting game results, athleticism, politics, ethical issues, nationalism, the media, and the economy. For the PG, there were 4 high-order themes, and each high-order theme had 1 low-order theme. The high-order themes were reporting game results, athleticism, ethical issues, and equality between Paralympians and Olympians. Comparisons between OG and PG coverage are discussed and recommendations for future research provided.
Janine Coates and Philip B. Vickerman
The London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games aimed to deliver a legacy to citizens of the United Kingdom, which included inspiring a generation of young people to participate in sport. This study aimed to understand the legacy of the Paralympic Games for children with disabilities. Eight adolescents (11–16 yr) with physical disabilities were interviewed about their perceptions of the Paralympic Games. Thematic analysis found 3 key themes that further our understanding of the Paralympic legacy. These were Paralympians as role models, changing perceptions of disability, and the motivating nature of the Paralympics. Findings demonstrate that the Games were inspirational for children with disabilities, improving their self-perceptions. This is discussed in relation to previous literature, and core recommendations are made.
Jeffrey J. Martin, Laurie A. Malone, and James C. Hilyer
Research on elite female athletes with disabilities is extremely rare. Therefore, using the Sixteen Personality Factor Questionnaire (Cattell, Cattell, & Cattell, 1993) and Profile of Mood States (Droppleman, Lorr, & McNair, 1992), we examined differences between the top 12 athletes comprising the gold medal winning 2004 USA women’s Paralympic basketball team and 13 athletes attending the selection camp who did not make the team. Multivariate analysis of variance with follow-up tests revealed that athletes who made the Paralympic team scored higher on tough-mindedness (M = 5.7 vs. 4.3) and lower in anxiety (M = 5.6 vs. 7.8). For mood state, the Paralympians scored higher in vigor (M = 19.5 vs. 14.8) and lower in depressed mood (M = 3.9 vs. 6.7) and confusion (M = 5.5 vs. 7.5). The effect sizes were large (e.g., Cohen’s d = 0.91 - 1.69) for all five results.
