The Ability to Self-Regulate Transgressive Behavior in Sport: Differences Related to Levels of Expertise and the Effects of Peer Education
This paper presents the results of two complementary studies that aimed to improve understanding of methods for developing self-regulatory skills in sport. The first (Study 1) investigated the effects of levels of expertise on the self-regulation of transgressive behavior in sport. The second (Study 2) examined the effects of peer education interventions on the development of self-regulatory skills. The Study 1 sample comprised 178 athletes at departmental-regional level and 49 high-level athletes. Study 2 comprised 99 students and 6 high-level sports tutors. Study 1 results showed that high-level athletes saw themselves as more able to resist social pressures and disengaged less than their less-experienced counterparts. Study 2 results showed that peer-education-based interventions affected the tutees’ self-regulatory efficiency scores in resisting social pressures and in social efficacy. These studies suggest that self-regulatory skills improve with increased expertise and appropriate interventions.
Keywords
- self-regulation
- self-efficacy
- elite athletes
- development of expertise
- peer education