The role of serious leisure participation and hearing impairment in recognising different emotions (with dimensions of personality and emotional intelligence)

The aim of this study was to investigate whether there was any difference on the emotion definitions in terms of personality and emotional intelligence dimensions of hearing-impaired national athletes (amateur) participating in serious leisure activities; not practising any sports (public), professionals without any disability (professionals), and not disabled individuals not practising any sports. The sample group of the study was 64 combat sports national team athletes who participated Hearing Impaired World Championship in Samsun between 18th and 24th of July (Xage=26,15+/-2,86), 55 sedentary hearing-impaired individuals who were members of Karsiyaka Hearing-Impaired Solidarity Association (Xage=28,76+/-4,23), 60 national athletes competed for national team in combat sports at least for 2 years and abiding in Kutahya, Afyon, Eskisehir and İzmir (Xage=24,25+/-1,24) and as sedentary normal group were 52 individuals not practising for last 2 years (Xage=21,36+/-2,12). All selected samples were chosen with convenience sampling method. As data gathering tool, 5 Factor Personality Inventory developed by Somer (2001) and adapted to Turkish language by Tatar (2005); Schutte Emotional Intelligence Scale developed by Schutte and friends (1998) and adapted to Turkish language by Tatar and friends (2011); and POFA Test designed with SuberLap5 was used. The data were organised on Microsoft Excel and analysed on SPSS 22.0. As a result of the research, it was found that disabled national athletes who participated in serious leisure activities were more successful at recognizing emotions than normal disabled and normal hearing sedentary individuals; disabled national athletes were faster at recognising emotions and reacting than disabled sedentary individuals; professional sport was significant variable at recognizing emotions; individuals from different groups were effected from personality and emotional intelligence at recognising emotions; the role of emotional intelligence and characteristics recognising different emotions by different groups and different emotions can be confused with similar emotions. The results of the research present that disabled individuals have skills on sports thanks to disabled individuals who practise, recognising emotions remembering the places of the emotions by colours and giving right replies present visual memories of disabled individuals are high. Recreational activities participated by hearing-impaired individuals contribute individuals' characteristics, emotional intelligence level and parallel goods. Disabled individuals had better scores than sedentary normal individuals and this result can contribute they can use these skills with sports.