Psychosocial Factors Influencing the Harmful Use of PIEDS in Sport and Exercise

This project will investigate a range of psychosocial mechanisms thought to influence harmful behaviour based upon Bandura's (1991) Social Cognitive Theory of Moral Thought and Action. The specific form of potentially harmful behaviour being investigated in the project is use of performance enhancing drugs (PED) in sport and exercise. The psychosocial regulation of this behaviour will be studied in athletes in sport seeking to gain a performance advantage through use of PEDs and/or exercisers using them for aesthetic gain. A mixed method framework consisting of four studies, one exploratory qualitative study followed by three quantitative studies. The qualitative will be designed to elicit PIED users experience of harm associated with PIED use in three main areas, physical, psychological and social. The three quantitative studies will follow a progressive line of research to measure the constructs identified in study one and the psychological mechanisms, based on Bandura's theory, used to contextualise harm associated with PIED use.