Framing transgression: How public narratives shape tolerance and social norms around psychological transgressive behaviours in sports

Psychological forms of transgressive behaviour in sports, such as humiliation, intimidation, and verbal aggression, are often subtle yet deeply harmful. Their moral evaluation is influenced not only by those within sports but also by how the general public (the out-group) perceives and discusses such behaviour. Media coverage, public discourse, and online commentary all play a powerful role in shaping what is considered within the sporting community (in-group).

According to Framing Theory (Entman, 1993), the way in which events are narrated – whether as “motivational coaching”, “discipline” or “psychological abuse” – can alter public understanding and emotional response. When framed as a necessary aspect of performance culture, harmful behaviours may become tolerated or morally justified. These interpretations can, in turn, reinforce social norms within the sporting world that sustain silence, compliance or acceptance of these harmful behaviours.

Through the Moral Disengagement Theory (Bandura, 1999) further depth can be made in explaining how individuals and collectives justify or downplay harm through mechanisms such as moral justification (“it’s part of building character”) or euphemistic labelling. When these disengaged frames circulate publicly, they can legitimise existing power hierarchies and normalise toxicity within sport cultures.

This thesis explores how public framing influences moral tolerance, emotional interpretation, and the reinforcement of social norms that shape the boundary between acceptable and unacceptable behaviour in sports. It advances understanding how public discourse and framing shape collective morality and the maintenance of social norms in sports.

Transgressive behaviour, sports, Framing Theory, power hierarchies

The main aim is to investigate how different narrative frames influence the public’s tolerance, justification, and emotional interpretation of psychologically transgressive behaviour in sports, and how these reactions influence or reinforce the social norms within the sports community.

Example research questions:

• How do different narrative frames (e.g., performance-focused or welfare-focused) influence public tolerance and moral evaluation of psychologically transgressive behaviour in sports?
• Which emotional responses are evoked by these frames?
• How do public attitudes (out-group) reflect or reinforce the social norms of the sports community (in-group)?
• What mechanisms of moral disengagement emerge in public responses to framed sport narratives?

A between-subjects experimental design using vignettes in a media-style.

Quantitative analyses such as ANOVA, regression, or mediation analyses.

Please contact Lynn Weiher (l.weiher@utwente.nl) when you are interested in this assignment. The assignment is open to one student. 

• McGee, S., Kerr, G., Atkinson, M., & Stirling, A. (2024). “I always just viewed it as part of sport”: Psychological maltreatment and conformity to the sport ethic. Journal of Applied Sport Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1080/10413200.2024.2414002
• Fournier, C., Parent, S., & Paradis, H. (2022). The relationship between psychological violence by coaches and conformity of young athletes to the sport ethic norms. European Journal for Sport and Society, 19(1), 37-55. https://doi.org/10.080/15138171.2021.1878436
• Haandrikman, M., & Schipper-van Veldhoven, N. (2024). Building European Safe Sports Together: a conceptual framework of transgressive behaviour. Erasmus+ Project. https://research.utwente.nl/files/354565500/BESST_WP1_Report_final.pdf [Only chapter 2]