What do sportsmanship, gamesmanship and deviance mean, and why do performers take drugs in sport?
Sportsmanship, gamesmanship and deviance in sport, and the reasons for and consequences of doping and the use of performance-enhancing drugs.
A focused answer to the WJEC GCSE PE topic on ethics, covering sportsmanship, gamesmanship and deviance, the reasons performers use performance-enhancing drugs, the consequences of doping, and why drugs are banned in sport.
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What this dot point is asking
WJEC wants you to explain sportsmanship, gamesmanship and deviance, and discuss the reasons for and consequences of doping and the use of performance-enhancing drugs.
Sportsmanship, gamesmanship and deviance
Examples:
- Sportsmanship: kicking the ball out so an injured player can be treated, shaking hands after a match, applauding an opponent's good play.
- Gamesmanship: time-wasting when winning, trying to put an opponent off as they take a penalty, feigning (faking) an injury.
- Deviance: violence on the pitch, deliberate cheating, match-fixing and doping (taking banned drugs).
Why performers use performance-enhancing drugs
Performers may be tempted to dope:
- to improve performance and win,
- for the money, fame and sponsorship that success brings,
- because of pressure to succeed from coaches, sponsors or themselves,
- because they believe rivals are also doping, and
- to train harder and recover faster.
The huge rewards in commercialised sport increase the temptation.
The consequences of doping
Doping has serious consequences:
- Health risks: many performance-enhancing drugs cause serious, sometimes permanent, harm to the body.
- Sporting sanctions: if caught, performers face bans from the sport, and loss of medals, titles and records.
- Loss of income and reputation: loss of sponsorship and lasting damage to their name.
- Harm to the sport: it is unfair on clean athletes and damages the image and integrity of sport.
This is why drugs are banned and athletes are tested for them, and why anti-doping organisations exist.
Why this matters
Ethics completes the socio-cultural area: the pressure to win in commercialised sport is one reason performers dope, and fair play affects how sport is viewed and whether people want to take part. It also links to mental preparation and motivation, because extrinsic rewards can tempt performers towards gamesmanship and deviance.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of WJEC exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
WJEC style4 marksExplain the difference between sportsmanship and gamesmanship, giving an example of each.Show worked answer →
A 4-mark question: two marks for sportsmanship and two for gamesmanship, with examples.
Sportsmanship is playing fairly, within the rules and in a sporting spirit, with respect for opponents and officials. An example is kicking the ball out of play so an injured opponent can receive treatment, or shaking hands after a match. Gamesmanship is bending the rules or using unfair but not strictly illegal tactics to gain an advantage, without actually breaking the rules. An example is time-wasting when in the lead, or trying to put an opponent off as they take a penalty.
Markers reward the contrast (sportsmanship is fair play and respect; gamesmanship is gaining an unfair edge without breaking the rules) with a clear example of each.
WJEC style6 marksDiscuss the reasons why some performers use performance-enhancing drugs and the consequences of doing so.Show worked answer →
A 6-mark question: give reasons and consequences, then a brief judgement.
Reasons: to improve performance and win, for the fame, money and sponsorship that success brings, because of the pressure to succeed or because they believe rivals are also doping, and to train harder or recover faster. The high rewards of commercialised sport increase the temptation.
Consequences: serious health risks from the drugs themselves; if caught, bans from the sport, loss of medals, titles and sponsorship, and damage to their reputation; it is also cheating, which is unfair on clean athletes and damages the image and integrity of the sport.
To reach the top band, give several reasons and several consequences (health, sporting and reputational), and finish with a judgement, for example that the serious health risks and the harm to fair competition mean doping can never be justified, which is why it is banned and tested for. Markers reward balance and a clear conclusion.
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Sources & how we know this
- WJEC GCSE Physical Education specification (from 2016) — WJEC (2016)