Abstract
Background: Sport, as social phenomena, may achieve a very positive influence on health and the social state of people with disability who practice it. In sport activities of athletes with disability, team sports may take a very important place. Objective: The aims of this study were: a) to investigate personality characteristics of male professional basketball players and wheelchair basketball players, b) to compare these characteristics of two kinds of athletes. Methods: For the purposes of this study, professional basketball players (N = 29) and wheelchair basketball players (N = 25) had completed a Cattell 16PF questionnaire which estimated personality characteristics. Differences between two groups of participants were calculated by t-test for small samples. Results: Results demonstrated the existence of differences in the expression of certain forms of behaviour within certain dimensions of personality between these two groups. Wheelchair basketball players had higher scores at factor M - Abstractedness (t = -1.889; p = 0.046), which means that they are more preoccupied by themselves and their inner mental life. Wheelchair basketball players had lower scores, on factors: C - Emotional Stability (t = 2.097; p = 0.041), E - Dominance (t = 3.530; p = 0.001), F - Liveliness (t = 2.658; p = 0.010) and N - Privateness (t = 2.527; p = 0.015). Conclusions: Wheelchair basketball players are, compared with professional basketball players, more emotive; they have a lack of self-esteem, less ready for teamwork and collaboration; they are naive and unpretentious. Considering these results, coaches who are involved in work with wheelchair basketball players have to adjust their methods of trainings, especially those coaches who were working with basketball players without disability. Also, coaches' influence can stimulate eventual changes in some above mentioned characteristics of wheelchair basketball players in more desirable course.
Highlights
In the last fifteen years the number of disabled persons has increased in the Balkan region mainly as a result of traumatic events in this area (Organization War Veterans of Serbia, 2012)
On the scale E – dominance we found significant difference (p = 0.001) between two groups with the average score of 15.20 for professional basketball players and 12.16 for wheelchair basketball players, and with medium effect size coefficient (r = 0.44)
On the scale F – liveliness professional basketball players gain a higher average score and difference in this scale is on level p = 0.010, with almost medium effect size coefficient (r = 0.35)
Summary
In the last fifteen years the number of disabled persons has increased in the Balkan region mainly as a result of traumatic events in this area (Organization War Veterans of Serbia, 2012). As social phenomena, may achieve very positive influence on the health and social state of people with disability who practice it (Miyahara et al, 2008; Wells & Hooker, 1990). People with disability who participate in sports have been shown to handle pressure and stressful situations better than those who do not exercise. They experience less depression, confusion, tension and anger (Campbell & Jones, 1994; Paulsen, French, & Sherrill, 1990). As social phenomena, may achieve a very positive influence on health and the social state of people with disability who practice it. In sport activities of athletes with disability, team sports may take a very important place
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