Examining mindfulness and moral disengagement in doping: Perspective of Turkish wrestlers

Erdem Ayyildiz; Hamza Kayabeşler; Mehmet Gülü; Fatma Hilal Yagin; Monira I Aldhahi; Elena García-Grimau; Sameer Badri Al-Mhanna

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1142343

Examining mindfulness and moral disengagement in doping: Perspective of Turkish wrestlers

Front Psychol. 2023 Mar 28:14:1142343. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1142343. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Erdem Ayyildiz¹, Hamza Kayabeşler², Mehmet Gülü³, Fatma Hilal Yagin⁴, Monira I Aldhahi⁵, Elena García-Grimau⁶, Sameer Badri Al-Mhanna⁷

Affiliations

¹ Sports Science Faculty, Tekirdağ Namik Kemal University, Tekirdağ, Türkiye.
² Sports Science Faculty, Pamukkale University, Denizli, Türkiye.
³ Department of Coaching Education, Faculty of Sport Sciences, Kirikkale University, Kirikkale, Türkiye.
⁴ Department of Biostatistics and Medical Informatics, Faculty of Medicine, Inonu University, Malatya, Türkiye.
⁵ Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
⁶ Department of Physical Education, Sport, and Human Movement, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.
⁷ Department of Physiology, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kubang Kerian, Kelantan, Malaysia.

Abstract

Introduction: Studies related to attitudes toward the use of prohibited substances in Turkish athletes are scarce. The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has implemented anti-doping educational policies emphasizing doping-related education in studies conducted among Turkish wrestlers. However, it is still unclear the extent to which the wrestlers comply and adhere to these anti-doping policies. No research has previously examined the effect of anti-doping education on athletes' mindfulness and moral disengagement in doping (MDD). Therefore, the present study has a two-fold objective: first, to examine whether doping-related education (DRE) and the status of being a national athlete (NA) have an effect on athlete mindfulness and MDD. Second, to analyze the relationship between each sub-dimensions of athlete mindfulness: awareness (ASD), judgment (JSD), and refocus (RSD) with MDD.

Methods: A total of 409 male wrestlers participated in this study. MANOVA analysis showed that NA and DRE alone have no effect on MDD but have a general effect on mindfulness.

Results: The highest effect was on the ASD of being an NA ( $η_{p}^{2}$ = 0.173). When the interaction effect of NA^*DRE was examined, significant difference in MDD (F = 8.218, p = 0.004), ASD (F = 8.476, p = 0.004), JSD (F = 5.844, p = 0.016), and RSD (F = 11.476, p = 0.001) were found. MDD has a weak negative relationship with ASD (r = -0.126) and RSD (r = -0.041) and a weak positive relationship with the JSD sub-dimension (r = 0.140). Those results suggest that being a NA and having received anti-doping education affect moral disengagement in doping and athletes' mindfulness.

Discussion: As a conclusion, it is recommended to increase awareness and anti-doping education among national-standard Turkish wrestlers to prevent them from engaging in doping behaviors.

Keywords: adolescent; doping substances; mindfulness; moral disengagement; sports psychology; sports sociology; wrestling.

Grants and funding

This research was funded by Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University Researchers Supporting Project number (PNURSP2023R 286), Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.