Antisocial behavior in soccer: A qualitative study of moral disengagement

This study was designed to examine (a) the moral disengagement mechanisms athletes use when they engage in antisocial behaviors in soccer and (b) whether the frequency of these mechanisms differs depending on the type of behaviors. Participants were 30 soccer players competing at a regional level. During a semi-structured interview, these participants were presented with video clips of their antisocial acts that occurred during regular games and were asked to explain why they engaged in these behaviors. Their explanations were coded based on the moral disengagement mechanisms described by Bandura (1999). Content analyses revealed that (a) the more frequent mechanisms used by the players were displacing responsibility to others (e.g., referees) and moral justification, and that (b) cheating acts and instrumental aggression elicited more displacement of responsibility than hostile behaviors.