A Multitheoretical Framework for Assessing Performance

This research examines the efficacy of criminological theories for explaining variation in doping behavior in professional athletes. Self-report data were collected from a sample of 732 professional athletes from Iran. Regression models were estimated using theoretically informed measures to examine performance-enhancing drug (PED) usage. Results show that variables representing self-control theory, social learning theory, and control balance theory were statistically significant predictors of PED use and account for a sizable amount of variation in PED use. Findings suggest that criminological theory can contribute to our understanding of PED use by professional athletes, which suggests that sports regulators might benefit from examining the criminological and criminal justice literatures as they consider how to combat the sports doping crisis. The results also provide additional support for each of the theoretical traditions considered, demonstrating that these theories can be useful for examining noncriminal behavior (doping) and can be useful in non-Western contexts (Iran)