To confess or not?

To confess or not? This is the dilemma faced by athletes who have used banned substances during their careers. An analysis of the main costs and benefits for the athlete helps to understand why spontaneous confessions are still rare.

The benefits of confession :

- psychologically, to ease their conscience: a particularly strong benefit for athletes whose personal values were opposed to their doping practice and the lies it involved. The confession then puts an end to what psychologists call "cognitive dissonance".

- psychologically: to avoid the risk of the discovery being made by customs or the sports authorities and thus to spare oneself an ordeal that is probably even more difficult.

- in sport: reduce the suspension caused by the authorities' detection of the doping practice, if an agreement has been negotiated beforehand with the sports or anti-doping authorities.

The costs of confession :

- socially: a degraded image in the eyes of the general public and close friends and family. However, the fact of confessing and therefore making amends generates a certain feeling of indulgence, even admiration when the confession is completely spontaneous.

- on the social level again: a risk of being sidelined by other athletes, both those who feel that the law of silence has been betrayed, and those who feel they have been harmed by the dishonest competition brought about by doping.

- on the sporting level: a suspension, sometimes accompanied by dismissal. The list of winners is also called into question.

- economically: a drop in income due to the termination of contracts (employment, sponsorship).

While there are psychological gains to be had from confessing, there are social, sporting and financial risks. This is why spontaneous confessions are rare, and generally concern athletes whose careers are over. Indeed, for the latter, the sporting and financial costs are low or sometimes non-existent. On the other hand, the psychological gains are strong, as some need to reconcile with themselves in order to make a new start in life.