The Performance Enhancement Attitude Scale (PEAS) reached ‘adulthood’: Lessons and recommendations from a systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract

Research on doping attitude has relied heavily on the Performance Enhancement Attitude Scale (PEAS). Yet, to date, no systematic review and meta-analysis of the PEAS have been conducted. Thus, the purpose of this study is, for the first time, to cumulate evidence for the psychometric properties of PEAS; specifically to conduct a qualitative synthesis and perform a meta-analysis to analyze the available results and findings for internal consistency reliability, gender differences and user/non-user differences in doping attitude assessed by the PEAS. The meta-analysis showed good level of internal consistency reliability for the PEAS. Overall, negative doping attitude characterized the athlete population, regardless of gender or involvement in doping. The latter, coupled with sole reliance on self-reports, questions the validity of PEAS as proxy for indexing doping behavior; and calls for a more nuanced understanding of the role of attitudes toward doping and clean sport behaviour.