ABSTRACT
Physical activity and sports can be considered important sources of motivation for people with visual impairments; however limited attention has been given to blind peoples' involvement in sports and to the intra-personal variables such as self-esteem and motivation that affect their sport participation. The purpose of the present study was a) to explore the relationship between self-esteem and intrinsic motivation in blind athletes, and b) to assess the levels of self-esteem and intrinsic motivation and identify differences in intrinsic motivation and self-esteem as a function of gender and sport type (individual-team sports). Participants were 78 (27 females) Greek blind athletes (30.29 ± 1.18 years of age) competing in team (N = 44) and individual (N = 34) sports. Participants completed the Intrinsic Motivation Inventory questionnaire (IMI) and Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES) questionnaire. The findings revealed that high values on self-esteem could predict blind athletes' perceived competence (p = .001) and strengthen their intrinsic motivation while enabling them to regulate pressure and tension (p < .05). However, female athletes appeared to be more pressured than males (p < .05), and interestingly, team sport athletes scored higher in intrinsic motivation than individual sports athletes (p < .05). The findings provide useful insights regarding the role of self-esteem in blind athletes' motivational profiles and draw attention to the role of perceived competence in blind athletes' sporting experiences, emphasizing that team sport context may serve as a fertile ground for enhancing intrinsic motivation.
