Psychological Mechanisms Underlying Doping Attitudes in Sport: Motivation and Moral Disengagement

Abstract

We examined whether constructs outlined in self-determination theory (Deci & Ryan, 2002), namely, autonomy-supportive and controlling motivational climates and autonomous and controlled motivation, were related to attitudes toward performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) in sport and drug-taking susceptibility. We also investigated moral disengagement as a potential mediator. We surveyed a sample of 224 competitive athletes (59% female; M age = 20.3 years; M = 10.2 years of experience participating in their sport), including 81 elite athletes. Using structural equation modeling analyses, our hypothesis proposing positive relationships with controlling climates, controlled motivation, and PEDs attitudes and susceptibility was largely supported, whereas our hypothesis proposing negative relationships among autonomous climate, autonomous motivation, and PEDs attitudes and susceptibility was not supported. Moral disengagement was a strong predictor of positive attitudes toward PEDs, which, in turn, was a strong predictor of PEDs susceptibility. These findings are discussed from both motivational and moral disengagement viewpoints.

Self-Regulatory Mechanisms of Doping Intentions in Elite Athletes: The Role of Self-Determined Motivation in Sport

“…First, controlled motivation was positively related to doping intentions through moral disengagement, while autonomous motivation was negatively linked to doping intentions through moral disengagement. These findings are consistent with previous studies [7,14,15] that have reported that contexts supporting controlled motivation are associated with attitudes about antisocial behaviors and drug-taking susceptibility or doping intentions through moral disengagement processes. More generally, this relationship is consistent with self-determination theory [25] and the findings of previous studies that have clearly established the maladaptive set of responses of controlled motivation in sport [42,43].…”

“…Studies that have examined doping variables from this theoretical point of view have shown indirect associations between self-determined motivation and doping. Hodge et al reported that contexts that support self-determination variables (autonomous vs. controlled motivation) are associated with attitudes about antisocial and prosocial behavior [14] and drug-taking susceptibility through moral disengagement processes [7]. These authors showed that autonomous motivation was negatively associated with the doping intentions, both directly and through moral disengagement.…”

“…The sports psychology literature indicates that doping intentions, with athletes considering the pros and cons of the behavior, have mainly been studied from the perspectives of the theory of planned behavior (TPB) [2][3][4][5] and self-determination theory (SDT) [3,4,6,7]. Other studies based on Bandura's [8][9][10] social cognitive theory have shown that affective and resistive self-regulatory efficacy are related directly and/or through moral disengagement to transgressive behaviors in sport [11].…”

Adaptive and maladaptive perfectionism and athletes’ attitudes toward doping and anti-doping policy in sport

“…The number of studies dealing with this problem is still rather limited. Such factors as motivational orientation and motivational climate, sport motivation and moral disengagement [6,7,8] have been identified as possible predictors of such attitudes.…”

Antisocial and Prosocial Behavior in Sport: The Role of Motivational Climate, Basic Psychological Needs, and Moral Disengagement

“…When one lacks this nurturing, one is likely to substitute it by pursuing goals (e.g., gain ego enhancement, fame, and extrinsic rewards) that do not promote prosocial behavior (Gagné, 2003). In the few SDT-based studies that have examined moral functioning in sport, it has been shown that autonomously motivated athletes were more likely to report prosocial behaviors/attitudes Ntoumanis & Standage, 2009), and avoidance of antisocial behaviors such as using performance-enhancing drugs (Barkoukis, Lazuras, Tsorbatzoudis & Rodafinos, 2011); whereas controlled motivation was associated with antisocial behaviors/attitudes (Hodge, Hargreaves, Gerrard, & Lonsdale, 2013;Ntoumanis & Standage, 2009). Although the role of autonomous versus controlled motivation has been examined with respect to prosocial/antisocial behavior in sport, the role of basic psychological needs has not been examined relative to these moral variables.…”