Athletic competition: a means of improving the self-image of the mentally retarded adolescent?

This study investigated whether participation in athletic training and competition positively affects self-perception in the different domains of competence in mentally retarded adolescents. We compared the effects of sport participation in four groups of eight mentally retarded adolescents over a period of 14 months. The adolescents were all students in specialized learning centres. The four athletic groups were constituted as follows: segregated basketball practice and meets, integrated basketball practice and meets, segregated swimming practice and meets, integrated swimming practice and meets. Two other groups served as controls: a sedentary group and a group that participated in classic adapted physical activities. We used skill tests and Harter's Self-Perception Profile for Children (1985) to measure, respectively, athletic skill and domains of perceived competence. The results showed that athletic skill increased over the 14 months, but the perception of competence in the subjects who participated in the segregated meets did not increase significantly in perceived physical ability, or in any other domain. Moreover, the integrated basketball group showed a decrease in perceived physical ability. The results are discussed in terms of the influence of specialized classes.