title: An examination of the Sport Drug Control Model with elite Australian athletes.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study presents an opportunistic examination of the theoretical tenets outlined in the Sport Drug Control Model(1) using questionnaire items from a survey of 643 elite Australian athletes.
  
  
  METHODS
  Items in the questionnaire that related to the concepts in the model were identified and structural equation modelling was employed to test the hypothesised model.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Morality (cheating), benefit appraisal (performance), and threat appraisal (enforcement) evidenced the strongest relationships with attitude to doping, which in turn was positively associated with doping susceptibility. Self-esteem, perceptions of legitimacy and reference group opinions showed small non-significant associations with attitude to doping. The hypothesised model accounted for 30% and 11% of the variance in attitudes to doping and doping susceptibility, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These present findings provide support for the model even though the questionnaire items were not constructed to specifically measure concepts contained in it. Thus, the model appears useful for understanding influences on doping. Nevertheless, there is a need to further explore individual and social factors that may influence athletes' use of performance enhancing drugs.
authors.affiliation: School of Human Movement Studies, The University of Queensland, Australia. daniel.gucciardi@graduate.uwa.edu.au
authors.forename: Daniel F
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Gucciardi
authors.forename: Geoffrey
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Jalleh
authors.forename: Robert J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Donovan
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D056352:Athletes / Q000523:psychology*; D054874:Athletic Performance / Q000523:psychology; D001290:Attitude; D001315:Australia; D004300:Doping in Sports / Q000523:psychology*; D004335:Drug and Narcotic Control; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009014:Morals; D010465:Perception; D058573:Performance-Enhancing Substances / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D012649:Self Concept; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D058573:Performance-Enhancing Substances