The social and psychological reasons behind elite performers using illegal…

The idea

Elite performers may dope for intertwined social and psychological reasons. Socially, intense media and public expectation, national pride, financial rewards and sponsorship deals create pressure to win; a win-at-all-costs culture and the influence of coaches, teammates or entourages can normalise doping, while fear of losing funding or selection adds to it. Psychologically, performers may believe rivals are already doping, so they dope to level the field; they may seek confidence, anxiety control or a competitive edge, or rationalise that everyone does it. Personality factors such as perfectionism, high ego orientation and low moral disengagement thresholds can also raise risk. These reasons interact: a social pressure can trigger a psychological justification, and vice versa.

What earns the marks

• Social pressure from media, public and national expectation can push performers towards doping to meet medal or selection targets.
• Financial incentives such as sponsorship, prize money and funding can motivate doping when winning brings reward.
• A win-at-all-costs culture and influential coaches, teammates or entourages can normalise and facilitate doping.
• Psychological reasons include believing rivals dope, seeking confidence or anxiety control, and wanting a competitive edge.
• Personality traits such as perfectionism, ego orientation and moral disengagement can increase the likelihood of doping.

Common mistakes and how to put them right

• Treating doping as purely a moral failing.

  Put it right: Social pressures such as expectation, money and culture, plus psychological factors, explain why performers take the risk.

• Assuming only financial gain matters.

  Put it right: Psychological drivers such as confidence, anxiety control and perceived unfairness also operate.

• Confusing social with psychological reasons.

  Put it right: Social reasons come from the environment and others, while psychological reasons come from the performer's own beliefs, emotions and traits.

• Believing doping is confined to one sport or nation.

  Put it right: The pressures described apply across elite sport generally.

Exam tips

• Sort each option into social or psychological before choosing, since the stem may ask for one category only.
• Reject options that describe consequences of doping rather than reasons for it.
• Look for options that name a specific pressure, such as sponsorship or fear of losing selection, rather than a vague 'wanting to win'.