1. Sport Psychology Skills
4.Group Cohesion
Sport Psychology Skills

2. “Cohesion is the total field of forces which act on members to remain in the group” (Festinger et al., 1950) “Cohesion is a dynamic process which is reflected in the tendency for a group to stick together and remain united in the pursuit of its goals and objectives” (Carron, 1982)

3. Class of Forces
Attractiveness of the group - individual’s desire for interpersonal interactions with other group members and a desire to be involved in the group
e.g. The satisfaction gleaned from making friends within the group
Means Control – refers to the benefits associated with being involved in the team
e.g. Playing for a highly ranked college American football team might increase the athletes recognition and value in the draft

4. Dimensions of Cohesion
Task Cohesion – the degree to which team members work together to achieve common goals
e.g. winning the league
Social Cohesion – degree to which members of a team like eachother
e.g. Adherence to an exercise class is enhanced by the social cohesion of the class
(Spink & Carron, 1992)

5. A Conceptual Model of Cohesion
Carron’s (1984) conceptual model of cohesion provides a framework for systematically studying cohesion
Carron identifies four major antecedents affective the development of cohesion in sports teams:
Environmental
Personal
Leadership
Team factors

6. Environmental Factors
Will refer to the normatitive factors holding a group together
Contracts, scholarships, parental expectations, geography ect.
Rules and regulations regarding the environment in which they find themselves in

7. Environmental Factors
Group Size – Smaller groups exhibit higher levels of cohesion then larger groups (Carron & Spink, 1995; Mullen & Cooper, 1994)
Level of Competition – High school teams are more cohesive than collegiate teams (Granito & Rainey, 1988)
Distinctiveness – Group that are unique display greater cohesion?
Examples?

8. Personal Factors Refers to individual characteristics of group members
Demographic attributions (e.g. member similarity, gender)
Cognitions and motives (e.g. attributions for responsibility, anxiety)
Behaviour (e.g. adherence, social loafing)

9. Personal Factors
Carron & Dennis (2001)- individual satisfaction is the most important factor associated with development of task and social cohesion
Widmeyer & Williams (1991) member satisfaction was best predictor for task and social cohesion in golf
Similarity in terms of attitudes, commitments, aspirations, and expectation

10. Leadership Factors Leadership style and the behaviours they exhibit
Relationships with players
Clear, consistent, unambiguous communication from coaches sig influences cohesion (Brawley et al., 1993)
Compatibility between members
and leader also important (Carron
& Chelladurai, 1981)

11. Team Factors Task Characteristics (e.g. individual vs. team)
Group productivity norms, desire for group success, group roles, group position, and team stability
Duration – Team who stay together longer have greater cohesion (Carron, 1982)
Shared Experiences- of success and failure can unify a team to counter an opponent (Brawley, 1990)
Collective Efficacy- Shared a common sense of confident in the team unit (Carron & Dennis, 2001)

12. A Conceptual Model of Cohesion
Carron (1982)
Environmental Factors
Contractual responsibility
Organisational orientation
Personal Factors
Individual orientation
Satisfaction
Individual differences
Leadership Factors
Leadership behaviour
Leadership style
Coach-Athlete personalities
Team Factors
Group task
Desire for group success
Group orientation
Group productivity norm
Team ability
Team stability
Group Outcomes
Team stability
Absolute performance effectiveness
Relative performance effectiveness
Individual Outcomes
Behavioural consequences
Absolute performance effectiveness
Relative performance effectiveness
Satisfaction
Cohesion
Task cohesion
Social cohesion