Athletes ‘will do anything in the heat of the moment’: Scientists find people who play team sports are likely to ‘suspend’ their sense of right or wrong in order to win
- Experts reviewed 27 studies on pro- and anti-social behaviour among athletes
- They found that competitive players can treat sport as if it were a different world
- This let them feel able to behave in a way that would normally be reprehensible
- In addition, coercive coaches can also encourage people to act antisocially
Athletes who focus too much on competition are likely to suspend their sense of right and wrong to win — doing things they would normally not — a study has found.
Researchers found that many competitors treat sport as a completely different world, one in which conventional moral responsibilities no longer apply.
In addition, the team found that ultra-competitive coaches who use coercive techniques can also incite antisocial behaviour in their players.
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Athletes who focus too much on competition are likely to suspend their sense of right and wrong to win — doing things they would normally not — a study has found (stock image)
Dr Maria Kavussanu and colleagues from the University of Birmingham and Sultan Qaboos University in Oman reviewed 27 existing studies into both ‘pro social’ and ‘antisocial’ behaviours in sport.
The team found that athletes who focus on the outcome of a match or race, solely to earn a ‘reward’ or avoid ‘punishment’, are more likely to behave antisocially to win.
Ultra-competitive coaches can also bring out the worst in sportspeople — making them feel inferior or guilty if they do not act in particular, mostly anti-social, ways.
This negative behaviour can go on to impact both opponents and teammates.
‘Certain conditions in sport may lead athletes who are relatively upstanding individuals in everyday life to suspend their sense of right and wrong when they step into a competitive sporting arena,’ said Dr Kavussanu.
‘In the pursuit of victory, coaches may ask players to cheat or injure their opponents, and players may see their teammates doing this.’
‘It may be easier to morally disengage in sport because responsibility for one’s inappropriate actions can be displaced onto others.’
The team dubbed this concept ‘bracketed reality’ to explain how athletes can exhibit less mature patterns of moral behaviour when competing than in everyday life.
Similarly, athletes tend to demonstrate their superior ability more when taking part in a competition than while training — a phenomenon known as ‘ego orientation’.
Researchers found that many competitors treat sport as a completely different world, one in which conventional moral responsibilities no longer apply (stock image)
‘Prosocial’ behaviours — like supporting, congratulating and encouraging teammates — typically result in better efforts and results.
On the other hands antisocial behaviour among teammates can cause stress and burnout.
Repeatedly expressing frustration at a teammate’s poor performance can leave that athlete unable to contribute to team goals and less able to cope with the demands of their sport, the study found.
The full findings of the study were published in the International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology.
