Athletes’ attitudes toward prosocial behavior in sport
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33910/1992-6464-2025-216-105-117Keywords:
prosocial behavior of an athlete, moral norms in sport, sports ethics, sports behavior, psychology of sportAbstract
Introduction. The personal development of athletes, their orientation toward moral norms, and their engagement in prosocial behavior in sport are gaining increasing attention. This article explores trends in athletes’ prosocial behavior, analyzing their ideas, motives, attitudes, and sports experience.
Materials and Methods. The study involved 528 active athletes aged 18 to 35, including both qualified and amateur participants, such as members of Russian national, regional, and university sports teams. For the purposes of this study, the authors developed the Image of a Modern Athlete questionnaire, which included 25 items designed to assess the respondents’ knowledge of sports ethics norms, their athletic motivation, and their experience of prosocial (helping) behavior during competitions.
Results. The study found that athletes’ attitudes toward prosocial behavior in sport are generally positive. For 80% of participants, playing fairly and demonstrating respect and nobility toward opponents were considered important, alongside the desire to win. Fair play was more strongly associated with adherence to rules than with helping behavior. The most commonly cited examples of giving and receiving assistance included helping with sports equipment, sharing water, accompanying injured athletes, and offering moral support. At the same time, half of the respondents agree with the statements that in sport one must follow the principle of ‘victory at any cost’ or ‘winners are not judged’. Factor analysis identifies three components in athletes’ attitudes toward prosocial behavior: physical assistance to an opponent, moral support for an opponent, and unsportsmanlike behavior towards an opponent. The leading motive for prosocial behavior was adherence to high moral norms and values. While athletes recognized the importance of fairness, respect and cooperation within the sporting environment, they were not always willing to sacrifice victory or personal achievement, often prioritizing success in sport.
Conclusions. The adoption of ethical standards of fair play, the cultivation of moral awareness, and the promotion of prosocial behavior can help shape the perception of sport as an institution of positive socialization and humanization of society.
References
СПИСОК ЛИТЕРАТУРЫ
Белов, М. С., Кисляков, П. А., Силаева, О. А., Краснова, Е. А. (2024) Социально-психологический анализ отношения тренеров к просоциальным ценностям в спорте. Ученые записки Российского государственного социального университета, № 2, с. 7–14.
Беспалов, Б. И., Веракса, А. Н., Грушко, А. И. и др. (2019) Психология спорта. М.: Изд-во Московского университета, 349 с.
Бочавер, К. А. Довжик, Л. М., Бондарев, Д. В. (2022) Связь системы ценностей и мотивации спортсмена. Психология и педагогика спортивной деятельности, № 1 (61), c. 5–10.
Гонашвили, А. С. (2015) Системно-реляционный подход к проблемам спортивной морали и этики Fair Play. Физическая культура: воспитание, образование, тренировка, № 6, c. 6–9.
Егоров, А. Г. Захаров, М. А. (2006) Фэйр Плэй в современном спорте. Смоленск: СмолГУ, 186 с.
Казанцева, Н. В. Казанцев, В. С. (2022) Кризис этических принципов фэйр-плей в современном спорте. Ученые записки университета им. П. Ф. Лесгафта, № 2 (204), c. 188–192.
Машина, Н. В. (2021) Интеграция принципов честной игры в поведенческую структуру личности спортсменов профессионального класса. В кн.: Вопросы профессионального развития: Материалы III международной научно-практической конференции. М.: Медиагруппа «ХАСК», c. 121–128.
Назарова, Ю. В. Серегин, Б. В. (2019) Спортивная этика как вид профессиональной морали. Гуманитарные ведомости ТГПУ им. Л. Н. Толстого, т. 2, № 4 (32), c. 96–100.
Казакова, В. М., Крикун, Е. Н., Григорьева, И. В., Шестаков, Ф. Ф. (2022) Основы этики в физической культуре и спорте. Культура физическая и здоровье, № 4 (84), c. 33–37. Кодекс спортивной этики: Справедливая игра — путь к победе. (1997) Спорт для всех, № 2, с. 62–63.
Розенфельд, А. С. Рямова, К. А., Степин, Г. В. (2023) Агрессия и мораль в социокультурном пространстве спортивной деятельности. Человек. Спорт. Медицина, т. 23, № S1, с. 76–84.
Серегин, Б. В. (2020) Конфликты ценностей в профессиональной этике спортсмена. Гуманитарные ведомости ТГПУ им. Л. Н. Толстого, № 4 (36), c. 52–60. https://doi.org/10.22405/2304-4772-2020-1-4–52-60
Шакирова, М. В. (2019) Фэйр Плэй как основа формирования этических норм в области спорта в вузе физической культуры. В кн.: Оптимизация учебно-воспитательного процесса в образовательных организациях физической культуры: материалы XXIX региональной научно-методической конференции. Челябинск: Уральский государственный университет физической культуры, с. 231–232.
Ягодин, В. В. (2016) Основы спортивной этики. Екатеринбург: Изд-во Уральского университета, 112 с.
Bruner, M. W., Boardley, I. D., Côté, J. (2014) Social identity and prosocial and antisocial behavior in youth sport. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, vol. 15, no. 1, pp. 56–64. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2013.09.003
Hodge, K., Lonsdale, C. (2011) Prosocial and antisocial behavior in sport: The role of coaching style, autonomous vs. controlled motivation, and moral disengagement. Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology, vol. 33, no. 4, pp. 527–547. https://doi.org/10.1123/jsep.33.4.527
Kavussanu, M., Seal, A. R., Phillips, D. R. (2006) Observed prosocial and antisocial behaviors in male soccer teams: Age differences across adolescence and the role of motivational variables. Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, vol. 18, no. 4, pp. 326–344. https://doi.org/10.1080/10413200600944108
Ricardo, J., Vissoci, N., Santos, L. et al. (2021) Systematic review of the literature about moral in the sport context. Saúde e Pesquisa, vol. 14, no. 1, article e7761. https://doi.org/10.17765/2176-9206.2021v14n1.e7761
REFERENCES
Belov, M. S., Kislyakov, P. A., Silaeva, O. A., Krasnova, E. A. (2024) Sotsial’no-psihologicheskij analiz otnosheniya trenerov k prosotsial’nym tsennostyam v sporte [Socio-psychological analysis of coaches’ attitude to prosocial values in sports]. Uchenye zapiski Rossijskogo gosudarstvennogo sotsial’nogo universiteta, no. 2, pp. 7–14. (In Russian)
Bespalov, B. I., Veraksa, A. N., Grushko, A. I. et al. (2019) Psikhologiya sporta [Psychology of Sport]. Moscow: Moscow University Publ., 349 p. (In Russian)
Bochaver, K. A. Dovzhik, L. M., Bondarev, D. V. (2022) Svyaz’ sistemy tsennostej i motivatsii sportsmena [Relationship between an athlete’s value system and sport motivation]. Psikhologiya i pedagogika sportivnoj deyatel’nosti, no. 1 (61), pp. 5–10. (In Russian)
Bruner, M. W., Boardley, I. D., Côté, J. (2014) Social identity and prosocial and antisocial behavior in youth sport. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, vol. 15, no. 1, pp. 56–64. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2013.09.003 (In English)
Egorov, A. G. Zakharov, M. A. (2006) Fejr Plej v sovremennom sporte [Fair Play in modern sports]. Smolensk: Smolensk State University Publ., 186 p. (In Russian)
Gonashvili, A. S. (2015) Sistemno-relyatsionnyj podkhod k problemam sportivnoj morali i etiki Fair Play [A system-relational approach to the problems of sports morality and ethics of Fair Play]. Fizicheskaya kul’tura: vospitanie, obrazovanie, trenirovka, no. 6, pp. 6–9. (In Russian)
Hodge, K., Lonsdale, C. (2011) Prosocial and antisocial behavior in sport: The role of coaching style, autonomous vs. controlled motivation, and moral disengagement. Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology, vol. 33, no. 4, pp. 527–547. https://doi.org/10.1123/jsep.33.4.527 (In English)
Kazakova, V. M., Krikun, E. N., Grigoreva, I. V., Shestakov, F. F. (2022) Osnovy etiki v fizicheskoj kul’ture i sporte [Fundamentals of ethics in physical culture and sports]. Kul’tura fizicheskaya i zdorov’e — Physical Culture and Health, no. 4 (84), pp. 33–37. (In Russian)
Kavussanu, M., Seal, A. R., Phillips, D. R. (2006) Observed prosocial and antisocial behaviors in male soccer teams: Age differences across adolescence and the role of motivational variables. Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, vol. 18, no. 4, pp. 326–344. https://doi.org/10.1080/10413200600944108 (In English)
Kazantseva, N. V. Kazantsev, V. S. (2022) Krizis eticheskikh printsipov fejr-plej v sovremennom sporte [The crisis of ethical principles of fair play in modern sports]. Uchenye zapiski universiteta im. P. F. Lesgafta — Scientific Notes of P. F. Lesgaft University, no. 2 (204), pp. 188–192. (In Russian)
Kodeks sportivnoj etiki: Spravedlivaya igra — put’ k pobede [Code of Sports Ethics: Fair play is the way to victory]. (1997) Sport dlya vsekh, no. 2, pp. 62–63. (In Russian)
Mashina, N. V. (2021) Integratsiya printsipov chestnoj igry v povedencheskuyu strukturu lichnosti sportsmenov professional’nogo klassa [The integration of the principles of fair play into the behavioral structure of the personality of professional athletes. Issues of professional development]. In: Voprosy professional’nogo razvitiya: Materialy III mezhdunarodnoj nauchno-prakticheskoj konferentsii [Professional Development Issues: Proceedings of the International Scientific and Practical Conference]. Moscow: Mediagruppa ‘HASK’ Publ., pp. 121–128. (In Russian)
Nazarova, Yu. V. Seregin, B. V. (2019) Sportivnaya etika kak vid professional’noj morali [Sports ethics as a type of professional morality]. Gumanitarnye vedomosti TGPU im. L. N. Tolstogo, vol. 2, no. 4 (32), pp. 96–100. (In Russian)
Ricardo, J., Vissoci, N., Santos, L. et al. (2021) Systematic review of the literature about moral in the sport context. Saúde e Pesquisa, vol. 14, no. 1, article e7761. https://doi.org/10.17765/2176-9206.2021v14n1.e7761 (In English)
Rozenfel’d, A. S. Ryamova, K. A., Stepin, G. V. (2023) Agressiya i moral’ v sotsiokul’turnom prostranstve sportivnoj deyatel’nosti [Aggression and morality in the sociocultural space of sport]. Chelovek. Sport. Meditsina — Human. Sport. Medicine, vol. 23, no. S1, pp. 76–84. (In Russian)
Seregin, B. V. (2020) Konflikty tsennostej v professional’noj etike sportsmena [Conflicts of values in the professional ethics of an athlete]. Gumanitarnye vedomosti TGPU im. L. N. Tolstogo, no. 4 (36), pp. 52–60. (In Russian)
Shakirova, M. V. (2019) Fejr Plej kak osnova formirovaniya eticheskikh norm v oblasti sporta v vuze fizicheskoj kul’tury [Fair Play as the basis for the formation of ethical standards in the field of sports at the University of physical education]. In: Optimizatsiya uchebno-vospitatel’nogo protsessa v obrazovatel’nykh organizatsiyakh fizicheskoj kul’tury: materialy XXIX regional’noj nauchno-metodicheskoj konferentsii [Optimization of educational process in educational institutions of physical culture: Proceedings of the 29th regional scientific and methodological conference]. Chelyabinsk: Ural State University of Physical Culture Publ., pp. 231–232. (In Russian)
Yagodin, V. V. (2016) Osnovy sportivnoj etiki [Fundamentals of sports ethics]. Ekaterinburg: Ural University Publ., 112 p. (In Russian)
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Павел Александрович Кисляков (Автор)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
The work is provided under the terms of the Public Offer and of Creative Commons public license Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0).
This license permits an unlimited number of users to copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format, and to remix, transform, and build upon the material for any purpose, including commercial use.
This license retains copyright for the authors but allows others to freely distribute, use, and adapt the work, on the mandatory condition that appropriate credit is given. Users must provide a correct link to the original publication in our journal, cite the authors' names, and indicate if any changes were made.
Copyright remains with the authors. The CC BY 4.0 license does not transfer rights to third parties but rather grants users prior permission for use, provided the attribution condition is met. Any use of the work will be governed by the terms of this license.
