The Phenomenon of Anti-Doping Policy Legitimacy in the Social Psychology of Sports

Abstract

Anti-doping represents a global system where an athlete is in the center of a control and regulations. The perception of legitimacy is important for compliance with rules and regulation within the anti-doping system. However, the concept of legitimacy in anti-doping is not sufficiently defined, which makes it difficult to develop psychodiagnostic tools for its assessment within the framework of relevant psychological theories. The aim of this study is to review psychological literature on legitimacy perception and identify a framework within which legitimacy can be studied in anti-doping area. Reviewed data were structured by three categories of legitimacy: “proper”, “just” and “appropriate” and a respective matrix for a focus group interview had been developed. Four focus-group interviews had been conducted among Russian competitive athletes (N=22). The focus-group interviews revealed three main themes: trust to anti-doping organizations, equal and transparent anti-doping rules and possibility for athletes to influence anti-doping policy. Legitimacy of anti-doping is an important psychological construct that may be operationalized through the perception that anti-doping is functioning proper, just and appropriate. In addition, athletes voiced their concerns on the transparent and equal implementation of the anti-doping rules and possibility to influence anti-doping policy.

Behaviours and Beliefs Related to Whistleblowing Against Doping in Sport: A Cross-National Study

“…Recently, it has been shown that athletes’ perceptions of the importance of clean sport and clean sport values can vary across different countries ( Woolway et al, 2021 ). As values are linked to doping behaviour ( Ring et al, 2020 ), it could be that culture may also play a role in engagement with, and acceptance of whistleblowing in sport ( Keenan, 2007 ; Bondarev et al, 2021 ). Culture refers to the individual’s characteristics that based on the perception of rules, norms, roles, and values, influenced by various societal levels (e.g., country, race, occupation etc.…”