TY - JOUR
T1 - Does social desirability influence the relationship between doping attitudes and doping susceptibility in athletes?
AU - Gucciardi, Daniel F.
AU - Jalleh, Geoffrey
AU - Donovan, Robert J.
PY - 2010/11
Y1 - 2010/11
N2 - Objectives: Given the sensitive nature of performance-enhancing drug use or doping in sport, obtaining reliable information on attitudes to doping may be severely compromised by socially desirable responding. Methods: The influence of social desirability on the relationship between attitudes to doping and doping susceptibility was examined in 224 Australian athletes. Participants completed a questionnaire package containing items tapping the three constructs of interest. Data analyses focused on mediation and moderation effects using structural equation modelling and hierarchical regression analysis respectively. Results: Structural equation modelling analyses showed social desirability to partially mediate the association between doping attitudes and doping susceptibility, whereas regression analyses revealed strong support for the presence of a moderation effect of social desirability. Conclusions: As a limitation of self-reported data, these findings highlight the importance of controlling for social desirability when obtaining athletes' self-reported attitudes towards doping and their susceptibility for engaging in doping in sport.
AB - Objectives: Given the sensitive nature of performance-enhancing drug use or doping in sport, obtaining reliable information on attitudes to doping may be severely compromised by socially desirable responding. Methods: The influence of social desirability on the relationship between attitudes to doping and doping susceptibility was examined in 224 Australian athletes. Participants completed a questionnaire package containing items tapping the three constructs of interest. Data analyses focused on mediation and moderation effects using structural equation modelling and hierarchical regression analysis respectively. Results: Structural equation modelling analyses showed social desirability to partially mediate the association between doping attitudes and doping susceptibility, whereas regression analyses revealed strong support for the presence of a moderation effect of social desirability. Conclusions: As a limitation of self-reported data, these findings highlight the importance of controlling for social desirability when obtaining athletes' self-reported attitudes towards doping and their susceptibility for engaging in doping in sport.
KW - Mediation
KW - Moderation
KW - Performance-enhancing drugs
KW - Sport
KW - Structural equation modelling
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=77956442198&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.psychsport.2010.06.002
DO - 10.1016/j.psychsport.2010.06.002
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:77956442198
SN - 1469-0292
VL - 11
SP - 479
EP - 486
JO - Psychology of Sport and Exercise
JF - Psychology of Sport and Exercise
IS - 6
ER -