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the moral reasoning of student athletes and athletic training students

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manner making decisions based upon a consistent set <strong>of</strong> principles in <strong>the</strong>ir service to individuals<br />

with an active lifestyle. According to <strong>the</strong> results <strong>of</strong> this study, however, on three <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> five<br />

scenarios at least 25% <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> sample <strong>of</strong> <strong>athletic</strong> <strong>training</strong> <strong>student</strong>s chose take <strong>the</strong> drug or can’t<br />

decide.<br />

Scenario two presents a situation that takes place in a local gym in which an individual is<br />

faced with <strong>the</strong> dilemma whe<strong>the</strong>r or not to try <strong>the</strong> new Supplement X. Supplement X is clearly not<br />

banned by <strong>the</strong> World Anti-Doping Agency <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> individual is confident that his competition is<br />

already taking it. For <strong>athletic</strong> <strong>training</strong> <strong>student</strong>s, this scenario is all too real except that <strong>the</strong>y are<br />

faced with responding to curious <strong>athletes</strong> who turn to <strong>the</strong>m as experts, or at least future experts in<br />

<strong>the</strong> field. In a class discussion on this topic with <strong>athletic</strong> <strong>training</strong> <strong>student</strong>s from this sample, many<br />

<strong>student</strong>s reported that <strong>the</strong>y, in fact, have been approached by <strong>athletes</strong> who are curious about<br />

performance enhancing substances. It would be reasonable to expect <strong>athletic</strong> <strong>training</strong> <strong>student</strong>s to<br />

have no problem recommending <strong>the</strong> athlete to proceed with caution <strong>and</strong> not take <strong>the</strong> drug when<br />

faced with a temptation to try a new drug if only from a purely medical perspective.<br />

Unfortunately, 9 out <strong>of</strong> 26, nearly 1/3 <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> sample <strong>of</strong> <strong>athletic</strong> <strong>training</strong> <strong>student</strong>s for this study<br />

chose take <strong>the</strong> drug.<br />

If for no o<strong>the</strong>r reason than <strong>the</strong> inherent health risks potentially associated with doping,<br />

<strong>athletic</strong> <strong>training</strong> <strong>student</strong>s should have been expected to make <strong>the</strong> decision not to take <strong>the</strong> drug in<br />

every single scenario. It would be reasonable to expect such a response if one could be certain<br />

that <strong>the</strong> educational experiences <strong>of</strong> <strong>athletic</strong> <strong>training</strong> <strong>student</strong>s provided <strong>the</strong>m with opportunities to<br />

develop, utilize <strong>and</strong> test <strong>the</strong>ir abilities to reason <strong>and</strong> act in a <strong>moral</strong> <strong>and</strong> ethical manner. The fact<br />

that in this study at least one quarter <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> sample <strong>of</strong> <strong>athletic</strong> <strong>training</strong> <strong>student</strong>s chose take <strong>the</strong><br />

drug or can’t decide for three <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> five scenarios, <strong>and</strong> on a consistent basis throughout <strong>the</strong><br />

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