Which scenario illustrates moral disengagement facilitating deviance in sport?

• A. An athlete follows the rules strictly in all games.
• B. An athlete disputes a foul call with empathy.
• C. An athlete refuses to cheat even when pressure increases.
• D. An athlete rationalizes cheating by blaming external factors.

Answer: (D)

Moral disengagement is when a person shifts responsibility or redefines a harmful act as acceptable, so they can act without feeling personal guilt. In sport, this lets someone bend or break the rules while still seeing themselves as decent or fair.

The scenario that fits best shows the athlete rationalizing cheating by blaming external factors. By pointing to pressure, others’ actions, or situational excuses, the athlete is disengaging their moral standards and justifying the act, which makes deviant behavior more likely.

The other situations depict keeping to rules, resolving a dispute with empathy, or choosing not to cheat under pressure—none of these involve reinterpreting the act as acceptable, so they don’t illustrate moral disengagement.