Integrating moral and achievement variables to predict doping likelihood in football: A cross-cultural investigation. (March 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Kavussanu, Maria; Yukhymenko-Lescroart, Mariya A.; Elbe, Anne-Marie; Hatzigeorgiadis, Antonis
• Is Part Of: Psychology of sport and exercise. Volume 47(2020)
• Publication Date: 2020-03
• Subjects: Soccer -- Guilt -- Moral disengagement -- Moral identity -- Performance climate; Sports -- Psychological aspects -- Periodicals; Exercise -- Psychological aspects -- Periodicals; Psychology -- Periodicals; Sports -- Periodicals; Exercise -- Periodicals; Societies, Medical -- Periodicals; Psychology; Sports; Exercise; Societies, Medical; Sports -- Aspect psychologique -- Périodiques; Exercice -- Aspect psychologique -- Périodiques; 613.71019
• DOI: 10.1016/j.psychsport.2019.04.008
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1469-0292

Abstract

Abstract: Objectives: In our study, we had two objectives. Our first objective was to test a social-cognitive model of doping in sport. In this model, we examined moral variables (i.e., moral disengagement, moral identity, anticipated guilt) and performance motivational climate as predictors of doping likelihood and whether performance motivational climate moderates the relationship between moral disengagement and doping likelihood. The second objective was to determine whether this model is invariant across sex and country. Design: We used a cross-sectional design. Method: Participants were 1495 (729 females) elite football players (mean age 20.4 ± 4.4) recruited from 97 teams in the UK, Denmark and Greece. They completed questionnaires measuring the aforementioned variables. Results: Moral disengagement positively predicted doping likelihood both directly and indirectly via anticipated guilt. The direct relationship was significant only when performance climate was perceived as average or high. Moral identity negatively predicted doping likelihood via both moral disengagement and anticipated guilt; and performance climate positively predicted doping likelihood. The model was largely invariant across sex and country. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that young elite football players in the UK, Denmark and Greece are less likely to use banned substances to enhance their performance, if they consider being moral an important part of who they are, and if they perceive a low performance climate in their team. Moral identity is likely to trigger feelings of guilt associated with the use of banned substances and to mobilize moral disengagement mechanisms. Our findings highlight the importance of moral variables in deterring the use of banned substances in sport. Highlights: Young elite football players in the UK, Denmark and Greece are less likely to use banned substances if they consider being moral an important part of who they are. When football players perceive a performance climate in their team they are more likely to use banned substances. Performance climate may accentuate the facilitating role of moral disengagement on doping likelihood. Moral identity is negatively associated with the use of banned substances via anticipated guilt. Moral identity could reduce the need to morally disengage leading to lower likelihood to dope.