Evaluation of the social identity of disabled athletes based on social-cognitive mechanisms
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19020191Keywords:
Social identity, Social-cognitive mechanisms, Sports identity, Self-efficacy, Social classesAbstract
The aim of this study was to evaluate the social identity of disabled athletes based on the cognitive-social mechanisms of disabled athletes. The importance of the study stems from the role of social identity in promoting the sense of belonging, motivation, and social participation of this group, and examining the interaction of cognitive-social mechanisms with economic factors and social classes can provide solutions for strengthening social identity. The research method was applied and descriptive-survey type. The statistical population included disabled athletes in West Azerbaijan province, from which 250 people were selected using the Cochran formula using simple random sampling. Data were collected through standard questionnaires of social identity, sports identity, self-efficacy, and a researcher-made questionnaire based on the theory of planned behavior, and data analysis included descriptive statistics, confirmatory factor analysis, structural equation modeling with the partial least squares (PLS) method, and multigroup analysis (MGA). The findings showed that social-cognitive mechanisms, sports identity, self-efficacy, socioeconomic status, and economic capital have a positive and significant effect on social identity. The components of planning, control, and intention play a fundamental role in predicting social identity, and the planning component has the largest share in explaining the variance of social identity (≈55%). Multigroup analysis also showed that the effect of social-cognitive mechanisms on social identity varies according to social classes; in such a way that the intensity of the effect is greater in upper classes and less in lower classes, although it remains significant in all groups. Sports identity also plays a direct and mediating role in strengthening social identity. The social identity of disabled athletes is directly affected by social-cognitive mechanisms, self-efficacy, economic status, and sports identity, and social class plays a moderating role in this relationship.
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