Testing contesting theory: Conceptual metaphors and prosocial behavior

David Light Shields, Christopher D. Funk, Brenda Light Bredemeier

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Objectives
This investigation was conducted to determine whether contesting orientations add predictive utility for  prosocial behavior , both in and out of sports, beyond other variables related to the component processes of moral action.
Design
Cross-sectional.
Methods
Intercollegiate US athletes (n = 2380; 56.4% male), from both individual and team sports, completed measures of contesting orientation, three moral variables (moral attentiveness, moral identity, integrity), three sport-specific variables (athletic identity, goal orientation, and fear of failure), and three outcome variables (sportspersonship,  academic honesty , and prosocial helping). Data was analyzed using both correlational and regression analyses.
Results
Regression analyses demonstrated that contesting orientations were the best predictors of sportspersonship, but were insignificant predictors of nonsport forms of prosocial behavior.
Conclusions
Consistent with contesting theory, contesting orientation are salient and potent predictors of sportspersonship, but do not predict behavior outside of contest situations.
Original languageAmerican English
JournalPsychology of Sport and Exercise
Volume27
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 11 2016

Keywords

  • Contesting theory
  • Sportsmanship
  • Moral functioning
  • Prosocial behavior
  • Competition

Disciplines

  • Psychology
  • Social and Behavioral Sciences
  • Sports Studies

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