Latent Motivation Profiles and Doping in Sport and Exercise: An Integrative Approach Based on Achievement Goal and Self-Determination Theories

Utilizing adult sport (Study 1: N = 290; Mage = 25.0 years, SD = 10.9) and exercise (Study 2: N = 501; Mage = 23.9 years, SD = 7.2) samples—competing and training at a range of levels—we identified several motivational profiles, determining which profiles were most associated with doping-related attitudes, intentions, and behaviors. Across both studies, participants responded to multi-section questionnaires measuring goal orientations (task and ego), motivational regulations (controlled, autonomous, and amotivation), doping attitudes, doping likelihood (Study 1), doping self-regulatory efficacy, moral disengagement, and self-reported doping and supplement use (Study 2). Latent Profile Analysis (LPA) revealed five subgroups of motivational profiles in Study 1: Mixture Low, Task, Mixture Medium, Mixture High, and Autonomous Task. Consistent with our hypotheses, a distal outcome model of LPA revealed significant differences in doping attitudes and likelihood between profiles that suggested task goal orientation and autonomous regulation are generally linked with lower risk of doping, while ego goal orientation and controlled/amotivated regulation are linked with increased risk. In Study 2, we sought to replicate the profiles from Study 1 in a gym population and evaluate them across a wider range of doping outcomes. LPA identified four equivalent profiles to Study 1, with only the Mixture Low profile not emerging. In terms of risk for doping, distal outcome analysis supported a similar pattern of results to Study 1. Our person-centered approach advances understanding of motivational profiles in sport and exercise, and their connection to doping risk.