DO ASPECTS OF PRIDE PROMOTE ATHLETES’ PROSOCIAL AND ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOUR? UNFOLDING THE ROLE OF MORAL DISENGAGEMENT AS AN UNDERLYING MECHANISM IN SPORTS

Abstract

There is a dearth of study in sports on the relationship between hubristic pride (HP), authentic pride (AP), and moral conduct (MB) toward teammates and opponents. This study aimed to establish the extent to which hubristic and authentic pride are connected with prosocial and antisocial behaviour (PSB and ASB) in sports, both directly and indirectly via moral disengagement (MD). 290 athletes from various team sports completed pride, PSB, ASB, and MD questionnaires. The data were analysed using partial least square structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) to test hypotheses. HP was found to be positively associated with ASB both directly and indirectly via MD, whereas AP was found to be both directly and favourably associated with PSB. Additionally, HP was indirectly connected to PSB toward adversaries via MD. Additionally, the research findings suggest that policies that support AP while discouraging HP may help to promote ethical behaviour in competitive sports.