PERSONALITY TRAITS AS THE POTENTIAL PREDICTORS OF DOPING ATTITUDES AMONG ELITE VARSITY STUDENT ATHLETES

Abstract

Objective: The present study aimed to investigate whether personality traits function as potential predictors of doping attitudes among elite varsity student athletes.

Background: Elite athletes, particularly those pursuing an academic degree at a higher education institution, are surrounded with highly demanding and competitive environment. This is because their academic workload is eventually merged with their intense athletic commitments. The urge to win in front of their fellow peers at any cost and the escalating competitiveness of the evolving sports might drive some desperate elite varsity student athletes to utilize any available means to gain a competitive advantage. However, personality traits among the psychological predictors might work as important and crucial determinants of the doping behaviors and attitudes.

Methodology: A total of 320 participants of which 163 were female varsity elite student athletes and 157 were male elite varsity student athletes were made part of this study. Their ages spanned from 18 to 25 in years and were participating in multiple sports at elite levels (International and National). Participants filled out the Big Five Inventory-10 (BFI-10) and the Performance Enhancement Attitude Scale-17 (PEAS-17), alongside with a demographic scale.

Results: Model 1 of the regression analysis indicated that sports experience was moderately negatively associated to doping attitudes among elite varsity student athletes. This suggested that higher sports experience may promote lower doping attitudes in this particular group. Secondly, model 2 revealed that along with sports experience, personality traits also significantly negatively predicted doping attitudes among varsity elite student athletes. Whereas, among the personality traits only extraversion and openness traits were significantly negatively linked to doping attitudes within this population group.

Conclusion: The findings offer new insights into how extraversion and openness relate to doping attitudes among elite university athletes while emphasizing the need of psychological profiling in anti-doping education and programs.