🔵 6.3 Psychological Influences on the Team: Cohesion in Sport

Question 1

What is cohesion

Answer 1

The tendency for individuals to work together to achieve their goals, the forces that keep the group members on task

Question 2

What is co action

Answer 2

When others do the task at the same time but separately

Question 3

What is interaction

Answer 3

When a group works together to produce results

Question 4

What are carrons antecedents

Answer 4

The factors that influence cohesion

Question 5

Carrons 4 andecendents

Answer 5

Environmental factors, personal factors, leadership factors and team factors

Question 6

Environmental factors (carrons antecedents)

Answer 6

• size of the group, larger the group the better chance of productivity but more chance of the ringleman effect and social loafing. Too large, sub division or ‘clique’ may form
• time available, longer the group are together, more time to learn each others roles.
• mixed age and genders may reduce cohesion

Question 7

Personal factors (carrons antecedents)

Answer 7

Similarity of the group members in terms of their aspirations opinions and values. Also whether they are happy with their role or how fit they are

Question 8

Leadership factors (carrons antecedents)

Answer 8

Refers to the leadership style chosen by the captain and manager and how they get on with others in the team

Question 9

Team factors (carrons antecedents)

Answer 9

• The more success achieved, the more each team member will want to be successful. The team would have experienced both losing and winning and the experienced gained from these results is useful in learning for future games.
• the longer the team has been together the more chance of cohesion

Question 10

What are the 2 types of cohesion

Answer 10

Task and social cohesion

Question 11

What is task cohesion

Answer 11

Individuals working together to achieve the end result. Can be done by doing their own role well so that the other team members can also make their contribution or by working hard alongside everybody else

Question 12

What is social cohesion

Answer 12

The interaction of the individuals and how they work with each other. May be a degree of trust in each others ability and support for each team member. May even socialise outside of the sport

Question 13

How does social cohesion help

Answer 13

• Help a team be interactive
• help communication and team spirit

Question 14

How can social cohesion hinder a team

Answer 14

Produce sub groups or cliques meaning some members will not co operate or at training they may not contribute

Question 15

What is steiner (1972) model

Answer 15

Actual productivity = potential productivity - losses due to faulty processes

Steiner proposed that the results of group efforts could be based on an equation that sums up the influence on cohesion. He stated that it’s not always the best players that produce the best results. It’s the players who have been moulded by the coach into a cohesive unit and maintain levels of motivation

Question 16

How does task cohesion help a team

Answer 16

• can override the problems of social cohesion. Performance and results of a team may still be good without task cohesion because they work hard for the cause. The desire for success drives the team towards achieving their goals

Question 17

What is actual productivity

Answer 17

The outcome of group performance

Question 18

What is a team

Answer 18

A group that has interaction, shared goals and identity and communication

Question 19

What is potential productivity

Answer 19

The best performance based on player ability and group resources

Question 20

What is group productivity affected by

Answer 20

The skill level and ability of the players compared to the opponents and how difficult the task ahead may be. Sometimes having the best players and best facilities for practice does not mean that the team will be victorious. The players need to be integrated and interact as a team

Question 21

What are faulty processes

Answer 21

The things that go wrong to reduce group outcomes and prevent group potential being reached

Question 22

2 types of faulty processes

Answer 22

Co ordination
Motivational

Question 23

What are co ordination problems

Answer 23

Occur when players in the team fail to listen to the coaches instructions or employ incorrect tactics. The players in the team may also fail to communicate with each other. The players may also misunderstand their role in the team

Question 24

What are motivational problems

Answer 24

When members of the team suffer from too much or too little arousal or they lose their drive to win. Resulting in a reduction in effort and concentration

Question 25

What is social loafing

Answer 25

Individual loss of motivation in a team player due to a lack of performance identification when individual efforts are not recofgnised

Question 26

How do social loafers tend to perform

Answer 26

Coast through the game, hide behind players who they think might cover them. They tend to take the easy option in the game and make limited contribution to the team cause

Question 27

Causes of social loafing

Answer 27

Lack of confidence when the player does not believe in their ability to compete with the opposition. Players may develop a negative attitude perhaps not playing in the position they would like to play. Coach / captain displaying poor leadership by not reinforcing or offering incentives Player may not understand role they need to play in the team or may not accept the role with enthusiasm Goals set by coaches may be to general and lack meaning Sub groups or cliques may cause social loafing

Question 28

What is the ringelman effect

Answer 28

When group performance decreases as group size increases

Question 29

Study for ringelman effect

Answer 29

Study of tug of war, found that individual efforts within the group reduced with increasing group size

Question 30

Ways to avoid social loafing

Answer 30

Make sure efforts of players are recognised and rewarded Giving players specific roles to play in the team Use statistics to highlight individual performance Goal setting Video analysis In training the coach should avoid situations where social loafing can occur make sure the players stay fit