Perceived incidence of drug use in Australian sport: a survey of athletes and coaches

Abstract

Doping control statistics suggest that only 1–2% of athletes are doping. However, studies of the perceived incidence of doping suggest that athletes believe that doping may be far more prevalent. Perceptions may potentially be of greater significance than actual incidence: athletes who believe that other athletes are doping may be more likely to engage in such practices, potentially creating a damaging self-fulfilling prophecy. This study investigated the perceptions of 609 Australian elite athletes and coaches about the extent of doping in sport. Data were collected via a self-completed survey. Results showed that the perceived incidence of performance-enhancing drug use was approximately 19% (30% for perceived incidence of recreational drug use). Findings are discussed in relation to how perceptions might influence athletes through the creation of damaging self-fulfilling prophecies, and how sporting associations have attempted to control testing procedures to influence perceptions of drug use in sport.

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Corrigendum

Acknowledgements

This paper is based on the study ‘Athletes' and Coaches' Attitudes about Drugs in Sport’ which was supported by the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing through the Anti-Doping Research Program.

Notes

^1.Merton, ‘The Self-Fulfilling Prophecy’, 195.

^2.Jussim, ‘Self-Fulfilling Prophecies’.

^3.Miller and Turnbull, ‘Expectancies and Interpersonal Processes’.

^4.Rosenthal and Jacobson, Pygmalion in the Classroom.

^5.Madon et al., ‘Self-Fulfilling Prophecies’.

^6.Hermann and Henneberg, ‘The Doping Myth’.

^7.WADA, 2011 Laboratory Testing Figures.

^8.ASADA, 2011:12 Annual Report.

^9.Mottram, ‘Prevalence of Drug Misuse’ (2003), 357.

^10.Price, ‘A Doping Free Olympics?’

^11.Dimeo and Taylor, ‘Monitoring Drug Use’.

^12.Spence and Gauvin, ‘Drug and Alcohol Use’; Ozdemir et al., ‘Doping and Performance’; Ama et al., ‘Football and Doping’; Thomas et al., ‘Illicit Drug Knowledge’; Goulet et al., ‘Predictors of the Use’.

^13.Mottram, ‘Prevalence of Drug Misuse’ (2011).

^14.Striegel et al., ‘Doping and Drug Use’; Striegel, Ulrich and Simon, ‘Randomized Response Estimates’.

^15.Lentillon-Kaestner and Ohl, ‘Can We Measure Accurately’.

^16.Sports Illustrated, ‘9th Annual PGA Tour ’.

^17.Thomas et al., ‘Illicit Drug Knowledge’; Jalleh and Donovan, Survey of Australian Elite.

^18.Waddington et al., ‘Drug Use’.

^19.Ibid.

^20.James et al., ‘A Potential Inflating Effect’.

^21.Mottram, ‘Prevalence of Drug Misuse’ (2003).

^22.Moston, Skinner and Engelberg, ‘Perceived Incidence of Drug Use’.

^23.Hinds, ‘Media and Crime’.

^24.Cohen, ‘Folk Devils and Moral Panics’, 9.

^25.Schwartz and Israel, ‘Born in the USA’.

^26.Verroken, ‘Drug Use and Abuse’.

^27.Wolfson, ‘Students' Estimated’; Engelberg, Moston and Skinner, The Final Frontier.

^28.Petróczi et al., ‘Comfort in Big Numbers’.

^29.Ross, Greene and House, ‘The False Consensus Effect’.

^30.Petróczi et al., ‘Comfort in Big Numbers’.

^31.Backhouse and McKenna, ‘Reviewing Coaches' Knowledge’.

^32.Aldhous, ‘Getting Inside the Minds’.

^33.Kirby, Moran and Guerin, ‘A Qualitative Analysis’.

^34.WADA, 2012 Anti-Doping Testing Figures Report.

^35.ASADA, 2011:12 Annual Report.

^36.Moston, Skinner and Engelberg, ‘Perceived Incidence of Drug Use’.

^37.https://www.surveymonkey.com

^38.http://www.sportrec.qld.gov.au/Industryinformation/Industrycontacts/Statesportandrecreationorganisations.aspx

^39.Dunn et al., Attitudes.

^40.Madon et al., ‘Self-Fulfilling Prophecies’.

^41.Engelberg, Moston and Skinner, The Final Frontier; Petróczi et al., ‘Comfort in Big Numbers’.

^42.Ross, Greene, and House, ‘The False Consensus Effect’.

^43.Stipis, The Use of Forensic.

^44.Inbau et al., Criminal Interrogation and Confessions.

^45.Moston, Skinner and Engelberg, ‘Perceived Incidence of Drug Use’.

^46.WADA, 2012 Anti-Doping Testing Figures Report.