Morality and Values in Sports Among Young Athletes: The Role of Sport Type and Parenting Styles – A Pilot Study

Abstract

Given the great importance of morality and values in modern sports, especially among young athletes, in this pilot study, we sought to broaden the exploration of the factors that may play role in these contexts, which have not been widely researched to date. Accordingly, the study tested the relationships between sport type (team or individual) and parenting styles (authoritative vs. non-authoritative), and moral decision-making in sport and sport values among 110 adolescent athletes whose age ranges from 11 to 22 (M = 16.04, SD = 2.86). The findings indicated that participants with authoritative parents, as compared to those with non-authoritative parents, are significantly less accepting of cheating in sport, while they also tend more to keep winning in proportion and hold significantly stronger moral values toward sports. Moreover, participants whose main sport is a team sport type tend to accept more cheating and gamesmanship than participants whose main sport is an individualistic sport type. While no differences were recorded between these groups in moral values, team athletes tend to value status in sport more than individual athletes, while the latter tend to value competence regarding their sport. The implications of the findings are discussed in light of no interaction between the effects of parenting styles and sport type on moral and sport values.

Beyond the Game: The Influence of Varying Degrees of Sports Involvement on College Students’ Self-Perceptions and Institutional Affiliation

“…Our study corroborates previous research emphasizing the social, psychological, and well-being benefits of sports among students [15,38]. It indicates that sports encourage social interactions, foster a sense of belonging, and instill important behavioral habits [39,40]. Therefore, participants engaging in sports at any level experience these benefits, contributing to their overall college experience.…”

Defining sports moral character and clarifying its related concepts

“…All sports can provide an opportunity for participants to develop their moral character, although these impacts vary among different kinds of sports. Yaffe et al (29) noted that participants in team sports tend to tolerate more cheating and gamesmanship than do participants in individual sports. Team (vs. individual) athletes tend to value status in sports relatively more, while individual (vs. team) athletes tend to value competence relatively more.…”

“…Team (vs. individual) athletes tend to value status in sports relatively more, while individual (vs. team) athletes tend to value competence relatively more. In addition, Yaffe et al (29) also highlighted the differences among individual sports. Sanlav and Donuk (30) found that track and field as well as tennis athletes demonstrate more integrity, compassion, sportspersonship, and fairness than do other athletes.…”

The Influence of Science Technology Engineering Arts Mathematics-Based Psychological Capital Combined With Ideological and Political Education on the Entrepreneurial Performance and Sports Morality of College Teachers and Students

“…Psychological capital can predict student performance, academic achievement level, employability, etc. It can also predict student mental health, emotion regulation, and emotion management ( Yaffe et al, 2021 ).…”