Dope stereotypes: When perception runs south and prevalence points north

In this study, we investigated regional differences in doping prevalence among recreational athletes in Northern and Southern Europe. Drawing on data from the largest survey to date on doping in recreational sport across six European countries (n = 3,043), the study challenges the common assumption that doping is more prevalent in Southern Europe than in Northern Europe. To estimate the prevalence of doping and the use of over-the-counter (OTC) drug use for performance enhancement, we applied the Randomized Response Technique (RRT). We specifically examined discrepancies between respondents perceived prevalence of doping and the prevalence estimated via RRT. Participants from Southern Europe perceived national doping prevalence to be 27%, while the RRT estimated actual prevalence at only 0.5%. In contrast, participants from Northern Europe perceived national doping prevalence to be 10%, while the RRT estimated prevalence to be 6.3%. To account for this unexpected pattern, we conducted additional analyses. However, controlling for variables such as competition level, sport type, and relative duration of participation did not explain the observed difference. Likewise, moral identity varied by region, but the differences did not align with the RRT-based estimates. Our findings challenge prevailing models that link individual perceptions and attitudes to doping behavior and expose limitations in current understandings of how attitudes influence societal patterns. We argue that simplistic explanations may obscure more complex dynamics and call for more nuanced approaches in anti-doping research.