Moral Development and Form of Participation, Type of Sport, and Sport Experience

The present study investigated aspects of moral development in sport, according to the form of participation, type of sport, and sport experience. 510 participants, 14 to 49 years of age (M = 24.9, SD = 8.3) who came from organized competitive sports included athletes (n = 327), referees (n = 138), and coaches (n = 45) in football (n = 161), handball (n = 198), and basketball (n = 150). Years of sport experience ranged from 1 to 6, 7 to 14, and 15 to 30 years of participation in sports. The Defining Issues Test was given; analysis showed no significant differences in development of moral reasoning among participants across different types of sports, forms of participation, and years of experience in sport.