Beliefs about steroids: user vs. non-user comparisons

The differences in beliefs about the effects of anabolic steroid (AS) use between AS users and non-users provides potentially important clues to understanding AS use. Two groups of bodybuilders were used in this comparison: AS users (n = 20) and non-users (n = 27). Subjects completed a 40-item scale measuring their beliefs about the effects of steroids, both physical and psychological (Beliefs About Steroids Scale: BASS). MANOVA comparisons between AS users and non-users on the BASS items indicate that AS-using bodybuilders believe that AS enhance their physical strength, athletic ability, confidence, assertiveness, feelings of sexuality, and feelings of optimism.