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the moral reasoning of student athletes and athletic training students

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Certified <strong>athletic</strong> trainers <strong>and</strong> <strong>athletic</strong> <strong>training</strong> <strong>student</strong>s are subject to similar pressures to<br />

win-at-all costs as <strong>athletes</strong> <strong>and</strong> coaches. The competitive environment tends to enshroud entire<br />

<strong>athletic</strong> departments supporting <strong>the</strong> notion that something about <strong>the</strong> structure or nature <strong>of</strong> today’s<br />

competitive environment may inhibit <strong>the</strong> <strong>moral</strong> <strong>reasoning</strong> process.<br />

While CAATE requires <strong>athletic</strong> <strong>training</strong> education programs to address ethics with<br />

<strong>athletic</strong> <strong>training</strong> <strong>student</strong>s, few programs have specific courses covering ethics in sport (Williams,<br />

2006). Few if any challenge <strong>athletic</strong> trainers through a <strong>moral</strong> <strong>reasoning</strong> approach to <strong>the</strong>ir own<br />

personal values <strong>and</strong> beliefs relative to principles <strong>and</strong> rules. If certified <strong>athletic</strong> trainers <strong>and</strong><br />

<strong>athletic</strong> <strong>training</strong> <strong>student</strong>s have similar levels <strong>of</strong> <strong>moral</strong> <strong>reasoning</strong>, it may be difficult for <strong>the</strong>se<br />

medical pr<strong>of</strong>essionals <strong>and</strong> pr<strong>of</strong>essionals-in-<strong>training</strong> to help <strong>athletes</strong> choose not to dope. How<br />

<strong>athletic</strong> <strong>training</strong> <strong>student</strong>s <strong>and</strong> <strong>student</strong> <strong>athletes</strong> reason <strong>moral</strong>ly, specific to doping issues, is <strong>of</strong><br />

interest in <strong>the</strong> fight against doping in sport <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong>refore, are <strong>the</strong> two populations that will be<br />

examined in this study. If change is to occur, it will require <strong>the</strong> efforts <strong>of</strong> society to be willing to<br />

acknowledge <strong>and</strong> address <strong>the</strong> root <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> problem. What better place to address such an issue<br />

than that where social <strong>and</strong> <strong>athletic</strong> issues are given center stage? Beyond <strong>the</strong> walls <strong>of</strong> a <strong>moral</strong><br />

home, institutions <strong>of</strong> higher education may be best equipped to face <strong>the</strong> challenge head on.<br />

This study is intended to describe <strong>the</strong> <strong>moral</strong> <strong>reasoning</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>student</strong> <strong>athletes</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>athletic</strong><br />

<strong>training</strong> <strong>student</strong>s using a reliable <strong>and</strong> well validated instrument to measure <strong>the</strong> <strong>moral</strong> <strong>reasoning</strong><br />

associated with general sports competition issues. It will also pilot a new instrument designed to<br />

measure <strong>moral</strong> <strong>reasoning</strong> using scenarios specific to issues <strong>of</strong> doping in sport. The information<br />

provided by <strong>the</strong> second instrument may be valuable in describing <strong>the</strong> reasons behind why <strong>student</strong><br />

<strong>athletes</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>athletic</strong> <strong>training</strong> <strong>student</strong>s decide it is acceptable to dope or not <strong>and</strong> whe<strong>the</strong>r <strong>the</strong>ir<br />

decisions are based in a <strong>moral</strong> perspective. The two instruments toge<strong>the</strong>r may provide a better<br />

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