1. Social Psychology of Sport 1. Group Cohesion
1.3 Aspects of Cohesion (or, as we will call, it – factors affecting cohesion)

2. So…. Today… By the end of the session all learners will have…
Explored the possible factors that could affect group cohesion
Identified the relevant research that supports the area of group cohesion
Evaluated the key study of Carron (1982)
Developed a plan for either a 10 or 15 marker
Some learners will have…
Completed social loafing section
Completed any missed section
Started to write a 10 /15marker

3. Starter activity…. What factors do you think could affect cohesion?
In your groups identify at least 5

4. FACTORS AFFECTING GROUP COHESION
Holts & Sparkes (2001) studied a UK university football team over the course of a season.
Data was gathered by means of interview and Observation.
Why was this combination of research methods a good one?

5. FACTORS AFFECTING GROUP COHESION HOLT & SPARKES (2001)
Holt & Sparkes concluded that the following 4 factors affected team cohesion
A clear role for each member of the team
Willingness to make personal sacrifices for the good of the team
Quality of communication between team members
Shared goals for the team

6. FACTORS AFFECTING GROUP COHESION TURMAN (2003)
Turman ( 2003) looked at a range of coaching techniques and related them to team cohesiveness.
He found that use of embarrassment, ridicule and similar techniques that involved “talking down” to athletes had a –ive impact on team cohesiveness
Whereas
athlete-directed technical assistance, motivational speeches and team prayers all had +ive effects.

7. FACTORS AFFECTING GROUP COHESION CARRON (1993)
Carron (1993) identified 4 types of factors that affect team cohesiveness. 1
SITUATIONAL FACTORS
Includes things like the environment in which the team meets and the size of the group 2
INDIVIDUAL
FACTORS
The characteristics of the individual team members 3
LEADERSHIP
(a) also showed how leadership/coaching style had an impact on team cohesiveness 4
TEAM FACTORS
Includes things like past shared successes, communication between team members and having collective goals (………………………………. (b) also found that communication and shared goals had an impact on cohesiveness)
Turman (2003)
Holt & Sparkes (2001)

8. ARE COHESIVE TEAMS MORE SUCCESSFUL?
Research which suggests YES
Gould et al (1999) interviewed athletes and coaches from a range of sports in the US Olympic team, assessing a number of different factors including team cohesiveness.
They found that teams with low cohesiveness were more likely to underperform

9. ARE COHESIVE TEAMS MORE SUCCESSFUL?
Although research has found that teams high on cohesiveness are more likely to be successful, it is difficult to know whether :-
the success was because of the cohesiveness or
the cohesiveness increased as a result of the success
How can we know which is the causal factor?
cohesiveness success OR
success cohesiveness ?????

10. ARE COHESIVE TEAMS MORE SUCCESSFUL?
Slater & Sewell (1994) suggest that both things are true . . .
cohesiveness success AND
success cohesiveness
Slater & Sewell measured team
cohesion in 60 male and female university hockey players early, mid-way and at the end of the season. They found that early cohesion related to later success and early success related to later cohesion.
BUT the strongest relationship was between early cohesiveness and later success.

11. ARE COHESIVE TEAMS MORE SUCCESSFUL?
Research which suggests NO
Grieve et al (2000) randomly assigned 222 male university basketball players to 3-person teams and manipulated the interactions of each team in order to create either high or low levels of team cohesiveness.
Each team was then assessed for cohesiveness, given a series of games and then assessed again for cohesiveness.
The researchers found that :-
there was no relationship between early cohesiveness and later performance
Successful early performance was associated with high levels of cohesiveness at the end of the games.
These findings suggest that:
success influences cohesiveness
But
cohesiveness does not influence success

12. HOW CAN COACHES ENCOURAGE COHESION?
Carron (1997) offered a 4-point model for team building
Increase team distinctiveness
Increase social cohesiveness
Clarify team goals
Improve team communication

13. Key study ~ Carron (1982)
Carron’s paper broke his perceptions of cohesion in sport into four areas:
the theoretical framework
application to sport
implications and limitations
future directions

14. Carron’s theory General theoretical perspective
Previous research said to understand group dynamics and how groups bind together, it was necessary to look at:
the source of rewards.
the means to achieving the rewards.
These notions have been developed to be considered as two components:
social cohesion and
task cohesion

15. Sports research perspective
Although theory acknowledges there are 2 dimensions, operationally defined as one general dimension
For example, Martens et al.’s ‘Sport Cohesiveness Questionnaire’ measures seven aspects of cohesiveness, including:
the degree of friendship or interpersonal attraction among group members
the sense of belonging
the level of teamwork perceived to be present in the group
This emphasis on social cohesion demonstrates the measures which are commonly used

16. Limitations…
Validity ~ by emphasising social cohesion, other factors that could induce cohesion are overlooked
E.g… ???
Goals
Groups that are characterised by low levels of mutual attraction do not necessarily lead to a break up / disruption
Attraction not needed to form a group ~ can form because of:
Similar interests
Values
Clear goals

17. Future directions
Carron has brought together the various parts of an overarching conceptual system for cohesiveness in sports teams….

19. NOW YOU BE COACH! You are a coach of a newly-formed team.
Using Carron’s 4 guidelines come up with at least 4 ways in which you could help boost the cohesiveness of your team
You should come up with at least one suggestion for each of the guidelines :-
Increase team distinctiveness
Increase social cohesiveness
Clarify team goals
Improve team communication

20. NOW YOU BE COACH! What were your suggestions???
Increase team distinctiveness
e.g. style of clothing during training sessions
Increase social cohesiveness
e.g. arrange for the team to all go out for a meal
Clarify team goals
e.g. have a “goal for the day”
Improve team communication
e.g. hold regular meetings

21. TEAM BUILDING
Team building techniques can be used to increase team cohesiveness
Carron (1997) developed 10 principles of team building.
The impact of team building has been tested in a number of studies but the results have been inconclusive.
Moran (2004) suggests that the reason for this is that team building can only increase cohesiveness if the team lacks it in the first place
So, studies with teams that are already cohesive encounter a ceiling effect and find that strategies have little impact

22. So… some questions
Ensure that you have evaluated and consider the necessary elements for the questions….
Either develop a plan for a 10 / 15 marker or start on of the following….
Describe what psychologists have learned about social influence in sport
Evaluate what psychologists have learned about social influence in sport
You are asked to form a new team. Using your knowledge of psychology, suggest how you would help them bond as a team