ABSTRACT
Over the last ten years there has been a dramatic increase in the number of opportunities for disabled athletes to compete at an elite level (Campbell & Jones, 1994). The result is that top level disabled sport is becoming more competitive and the rewards for success, and the disappointments associated with failure, are often great. These factors can cause intense situations in which the ability to cope with the accompanying stress is crucial in determining performance success. Knowledge of how disabled athletes respond in these situations is of importance if sport psychologists are to provide effective services. However, it is not possible merely to apply current sport psychology theories and psychological techniques as the majority have not been developed or investigated using disabled sport populations (Crocker, 1993). The authors are aware of only one study which has considered how disabled athletes respond in highly stressful sporting situations (Campbell & Jones, in press).
