Norms in sport: a scoping review

ABSTRACT

The influence of a ‘group’ is often posited as a key factor that influences behavior. This is relevant in sports, where the presence of norms develops through interactions with important others. As such, an athlete’s perception of what is normative may have a significant role in how that athlete thinks and behaves. The present study undertakes a scoping review of research on norms in sports, specifically to describe the extent, scope and range of research conducted to date. Six online databases were searched to identify research published up to January 2021, from which 124 met inclusion criteria. To be included, articles were published peer-reviewed articles, written in English and evaluated norms within an athlete sample. The results suggest that the use of theoretical frameworks and conceptualizations of norms varied considerably and were used inconsistently. Most studies included in this review used a cross-sectional research design, were conducted within North America, and focused on adult athlete populations. This study identified that the concept of ‘norms’ has been examined extensively in sport, with an opportunity to explore norms in a wider range of samples and with advanced research methodologies to progress our understanding of norms in sport.

KEYWORDS:

• Group dynamics
• physical activity
• social influence
• social norms
• sport

Data availability statement

Data is available within the article or its supplementary materials.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

One of the authors (MC) was supported by a Summer Vacation Research Scholarship provided by the University of South Australia. The funders had no role in the design of the scoping review.