Examining the Connection between Exposure to People with Physical Disabilities and Staring Behaviour among Able-bodied Adults

Author(s):  
Shannon Seissman

Previous work suggests that interacting with people with disabilities is an effective strategy for improving attitudes and behaviours towards this stigmatized group. However, the optimal context for such interactions is unknown. Studies have found that portraying an individual with a disability as physically active may improve how able-bodied individuals perceive him/her. This study applies the stereotype content model to evaluate whether experience interacting with people with physical disabilities in a physical activity setting is a more effective strategy for mitigating negative behavioural reactions (staring) towards this population than interaction in a non-physical activity setting, or no interaction at all. The study uses eye tracking to evaluate staring behaviours in response to four image types: disabled/active, disabled/inactive, able-bodied/active, and able-bodied/inactive. Thus, this research will also examine interaction effects between experience level and image type. This study will provide evidence as to whether interacting with individuals with physical disability in a physical activity setting should be targeted as a real-word intervention for improving the way in which people with physical disabilities are treated.

2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 145-151
Author(s):  
Luciana Erina Palma ◽  
Bhianca Conterato Patias ◽  
Roberta Marostega Feck

OBJETIVO: Objetivou-se identificar as preferências, barreiras e motivações para a prática de atividade física por pessoas com deficiência física. MÉTODOS: A pesquisa é de caráter qualitativo, do tipo descritivo. Participaram do estudo 34 indivíduos com deficiência física, 27 eram ativos e 7 inativos, com média de idades de 35,5 anos. Para as coletas dos dados, utilizaram-se questionários sobre preferência, motivações e barreiras para prática de atividade física. RESULTADOS: A partir dos resultados, as preferências identificadas envolvem a prática esportiva, especialmente, o basquetebol em cadeira de rodas. Sobre as motivações, a dimensão saúde se sobressaiu como o fator motivacional mais citado. Quanto às barreiras, a falta de equipamentos disponíveis e adaptados foi a mais evidenciada para a prática de atividades físicas. CONCLUSÃO: Estes resultados subsidiam a criação de atividades específicas considerando as preferências e as motivações apresentadas pelas pessoas com deficiência física, aliado à tentativa de minimizar as barreiras para esta prática.ABSTRACT. Physical activity and physical disability: preferences, motivations and barriers for the practice of physical activity.OBJECTIVE: The objective was to identify preferences, barriers and motivations for the practice of physical activity by people with physical disabilities. METHODS: The research is qualitative, of the descriptive type. Thirty-four individuals with physical disability participated in the study, 27 were active and 7 were inactive, with an average age of 35.5 years. For data collection, questionnaires were used on preferences, motivations and barriers for the practice of physical activity. RESULTS: From the results, the identified preferences involve the sports practice, mainly, the wheelchair basketball. On the motivations, the health dimension stood out as the most cited motivational factor, both by the active and the inactive subjects. As for the barriers, the lack of equipment available and adapted was the most evidenced for the practice of physical activities. CONCLUSION: These results subsidize the creation of specific activities considering the preferences and motivations presented by people with physical disabilities, along with the attempt to minimize the barriers for this practice.


2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cassandra D. Dionne ◽  
Heather L. Gainforth ◽  
Deborah A. O’Malley ◽  
Amy E. Latimer-Cheung

Background.Using measures of explicit attitudes, physical activity status has been established as a factor that reduces the stigma able-bodied people hold towards people with physical disabilities. This phenomenon is called the exerciser stereotype. However, whether the exerciser stereotype exists when using measures of implicit attitudes remains unknown.Objective.The aims of this study were to evaluate the prevalence of negative implicit attitudes towards people with physical disabilities and determine whether implicit attitudes towards people with physical disabilities were influenced by the exerciser stereotype.Methods.One hundred able-bodied participants (82 females, 18 males) completed two implicit association tests (IATs): the Disability-Attitudes IAT and the Disability-Activity IAT. The Disability-Attitudes IAT measured implicit attitudes towards people who were not disabled relative to disabled; the Disability-Activity IAT measured attitudes towards people with a physical disability who were active relative to inactive.Results.Results revealed that 83.8% of participants had negative implicit attitudes towards people with a disability. Participants held more positive attitudes towards active versus inactive people with a physical disability.Conclusions.The study findings indicate that the exerciser stereotype exists implicitly and may undermine negative attitudes towards people with physical disabilities.


Author(s):  
Javier Monforte ◽  
Joan Úbeda-Colomer ◽  
Miquel Pans ◽  
Víctor Pérez-Samaniego ◽  
José Devís-Devís

This paper qualitatively examines environmental factors operating as barriers and/or facilitators to participation in physical activity (PA) of people with physical disabilities. Interview data were collected from 27 Spanish university students through the innovative method of two-on-one interviews. Thereafter, data were subject to a flexible thematic analysis. Three themes were constructed: associations; PA practice spaces; and nonhumans. Concepts from different theories were used to generate meaningful interpretations around each theme. Drawing on our results, we offer several reflections and directions. Two key messages can be highlighted. First, environmental barriers and facilitators are context dependent and thus do not precede the circumstances in which they emerge. Second, Spanish universities should work harder to become relevant PA promoting environments for students with physical disability. The knowledge generated in this study is expected to inform the design, implementation and evaluation of programs promoting PA among Spanish university students with physical disability.


2018 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 263-283
Author(s):  
Magdalena Gómez-Díaz ◽  
María Jiménez-García

Introducción: La Inteligencia emocional, resiliencia y autoestima son conceptos relacionados con el desarrollo personal. Las personas que presentan discapacidad física, la percepción de las diferentes situaciones a las que tienen que enfrentarse pueden influir en sus emociones y comportamiento.Objetivo: Analizar las diferencias o similitudes entre las personas con discapacidad y sin discapacidad en el ámbito de la inteligencia emocional, la resiliencia y la autoestima. Metodología: Estudio cuantitativo de tipo descriptivo, transversal, y prospectivo, utilizando las escalas de la Inteligencia emocional TMMS-24, la escala de la Resiliencia CD-RISC10 y la escala de la autoestima de Rosemberg, con un total de 100 participantes. Resultados: Las personas con discapacidad física presentan medias estadísticamente superiores en inteligencia emocional y resiliencia, aunque en autoestima las personas sin discapacidad presentan medias superiores. Discusión: Distintos autores ponen de manifiesto que las emociones juegan un papel fundamental en el bienestar de los individuos. En el caso de las enfermedades que implican discapacidad física, afectan a los diferentes aspectos de la vida de las personas, por lo tanto se hace más necesario aún el buen manejo emocional para evitar que la persona sufra mayores consecuencias físicas y/o emocionales. Conclusiones: Las personas con discapacidad física presentan unos niveles adecuados de inteligencia emocional en sus diferentes dimensiones, desarrollando estrategias de afrontamiento que les permiten hacer frente a dichas dificultades. La autoestima de las personas con discapacidad física, se ve mermada por la baja percepción de control independiente. Introduction: Emotional intelligence, resilience and self-esteem are concepts related to personal development. People who have physical disabilities, the perception of the different situations that have to face may influence emotions and behavior.Objective: Analyze the differences or similarities between people with disabilities and without disabilities in the field of emotional intelligence, resilience and self-esteem.Methodology: Type descriptive, transversal and prospective, quantitative study using the scales of the emotional intelligence TMMS-24, the scale of the Resilience CD-RISC10 and the scale of the Rosenberg self-esteem, with a total of 100 participants.Results: Persons with physical disabilities present mean statistically higher on emotional intelligence and resilience, although regarding self-esteem people without disabilities have an upper mean.Discussion: Different authors have shown that emotions play a fundamental role in the well-being of individuals. In the case of diseases that involve physical disability, affect different aspects of the life of people, therefore even good emotional management is necessary most to avoid that the person may suffer greater consequences physical and/or emotional.Findings: Persons with physical disability have adequate levels of emotional intelligence in its different dimensions, developing coping strategies that enable them to cope with such difficulties. The self-esteem of people with physical disabilities is weakened by the low perception of independent control.


2019 ◽  
pp. 339-358 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachael C. Stone ◽  
Shane N. Sweet ◽  
Marie-Josée Perrier ◽  
Tara MacDonald ◽  
Kathleen A. Martin Ginis ◽  
...  

Identifying as a regular exerciser has been found to effectively alter stereotypes related to warmth and competence for adults with a physical disability; however, it remains unclear how sport participation can influence this trend. Therefore, this study aimed to examine warmth and competence perceptions of adults with a physical disability portrayed as elite and nonelite athletes relative to other athletic and nonathletic subgroups of adults with and without a physical disability in the context of the stereotype content model. Using survey data from able-bodied participants (N = 302), cluster analyses were applied to a behaviors from intergroup affect and stereotypes map for displaying the intersection of warmth and competence perceptions. The results demonstrated that adults with a physical disability who are described as elite athletes (i.e., Paralympians) are clustered with high warmth and high competence, similar to their able-bodied athletic counterparts (i.e., Olympians). The findings suggest that perceiving athletic and elite sport statuses for adults with a physical disability may counter the stereotypes commonly applied to this group.


2019 ◽  
Vol 45 (3) ◽  
pp. 5-16
Author(s):  
Monika Skura

People with physical disabilities, just as other people who have a different appearance or function in a different way may experience negative social mechanisms. Therefore, it is worth asking, what does it mean to experience different stages of the process of accepting one's disability in a society. The research sample consisted of 75 people with physical disabilities. The data was collected using a questionnaire and the Adjective Check List (ACL) by H.B. Gough, A.B. Heilbrun. The first part of this article aims to determine what difficulties are involved in experiencing a disability. Subsequently, the data is presented regarding the perception of the disabled people of: non-disabled people, people with physical disabilities and people with a different type of disability. It turns out, that regardless of the stage of adapting to their own disability, people with a physical disability are most likely to meet with the able-bodied and their own group of people.


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