the moral reasoning of student athletes and athletic training students

While analyzing the results of this particular study, scenarios two and five produced
interesting sets of frequencies that may provide valuable insight as to the reasoning processes of
division I student athletes and athletic training students. The following is scenario two:
George, while hanging out at the local gym, learns of a new supplement,
Supplement X, which is supposed to improve performance significantly
and is rumored to be a precursor for testosterone, which is not presently on
the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA) list. George recently learned
that his competition is taking Supplement X and beat George last season.
What should George do?
When analyzed by gender, 50% percent of female and 60% percent of male respondents chose
either take the drug, or can’t decide. By status, between 54-55% of each group, including team
sport athletes, individual sport athletes and athletic training students chose take the drug or can’t
decide. Respondents who selected take the drug were most likely to reason that “Supplement X
is not on the United States Anti-Doping Agency’s list of banned substances; George is not
violating any rules.” It appears that the reasoning process used by these respondents may have
more to do with the rules and legality of a particular decision. Since this scenario clearly states
that the drug is currently not on WADA’s list of banned substances it is legal and, therefore,
acceptable to use. Respondents who chose can’t decide were most likely to reason that, “If they
are all doped, does it really matter?” An interesting comment made by a respondent during data
collection was, “Morals, morals, morals. I don’t want to think about those today.” This apathetic
attitude seems reflective of the reason most often chosen by respondents as to why they couldn’t
make a decision about the right thing to do.
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