Comparing the motor imagery and doping intention of Chinese and Korean track and marathon athletes

Doping among track and field athletes remains a concern in both Korea and China. The present study sought to compare motor imagery ability and doping intentions between Korean and Chinese track and marathon athletes. Based on the cross-sectional design, a total of 300 athletes (Korean: n = 150; Chinese: n = 150) were recruited and completed anonymous self-report questionnaires assessing motor imagery ability and doping intentions. Independent samples t-tests were conducted to examine group differences in motor imagery and doping intention. The results showed that Korean athletes (M = 2.71) demonstrated significantly higher goal imagery ability compared to their Chinese counterparts (M = 2.55; t = −1.995, p < .05). Conversely, Korean athletes (M = 3.46) also reported significantly higher doping intentions than Chinese athletes (M = 3.33; t = 2.566, p < .05). These results suggest that, despite possessing superior motor imagery ability, Korean athletes exhibited greater susceptibility to doping intentions. The findings provide insights into the psychological mechanisms underlying motor imagery and doping intention in track and marathon athletes and may inform the development of effective doping prevention and intervention strategies.