Bracketed Morality: Moral Reasoning
Bracketed Morality: a form of morality that is set apart from that of everyday life (Bredemeier & Shields, 1986)
Moral Reasoning
Moral Reasoning: the criteria a person uses to resolve moral conflicts.
How a person thinks about moral issues
Higher levels of moral reasoning reflect higher moral development
Moral Reasoning in Sport and Daily Life (Bredmeier & Shields, 1986)
Examined
Do athletes differ from non-athletes in moral reasoning?
Are there difference between daily life and sport moral reasoning?
Method
100 college and high school basketball players and non-athletes responded to hypothetical life and sport moral dilemmas.
Moral reasoning assessed for daily life and sport.
Athletes vs. Non-Athletes: Sport Reasoning
Athletes scored lower in sport reasoning than non-athletes.
Smaller differences in life reasoning with non-athletes scoring higher than athletes.
No difference between swimmers and non-athletes
Degree of interpersonal interaction different - higher potential for injury for interactive sport.
Sport vs. Life Reasoning: Athletes
Sport was lower than life reasoning particularly, in male basketball players.
Game Reasoning Theory (Bredmeier & Shields, 1986)
A moral transformation in sport where self-interest in considered a legitimate means for pursing the goal of winning.
Egocentrism becomes a valued principle
Manifests in less mature levels of moral reasoning when people play sport.
Why does this shift occur? (Bredmier & Shields, 1986)
In sport, each team seeks self-gain
Athletes are not expected to consider competitors' desires
Coaches and officials
Aggression endorsed as appropriate in sport.
Summary
Game reasoning theory explains the existence of bracketed morality between sport and life.
Divergence exiists in moral reasoning between sport and daily life.
Important to acknowledge the limitations of work in this area.