Participant-related differences in high school athletes' moral behavior

The relationship between sport and morality is important for many reasons, particularly for those who seek to use sport as a vehicle for moral development. Previous research has revealed contradictory findings. The present study assessed the perceived legitimacy of unethical sport situations for 78 high school athletes. Five ethical domains (coach aggression, player aggression, cheating, disrespect, and rule bending) were examined across sex, grade level, level of physical contact, and level of competition. The present findings demonstrated male athletes were more accepting of player aggression than female athletes. In addition, varsity athletes were more accepting of player aggression and disrespect than junior varsity athletes. The results are discussed with respect to past research and specific psychological theories.