Chapter 9 Flashcards
groups
- groups are not the same as a collection of individuals
- who makes up the group is an important variable in group settings
group dynamics
-the study of the nature of groups and their development, and the interrelationship of groups with individuals, other groups and larger institutions
assembly affect
variations in group behavior that are a result of the particular combination of individuals within a group
-groups are not crowds-crowds probably will not be together again
what makes up an effective group?
- decision making
- communication
- cohesion
decision making
basing group decision- making on equal participation and equal participation and equal power of all members majority rules
-be mindful of group think: when a desire for uniformity and harmony overrides independent consideration of all possible options
group think ex) train hard, the most training, super far
-open to changing training, encourage to question group processes
communication
- communication is directly important for team perform
- communication influences how the group functions as a whole
cohesion
“the 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”
- forces to bind members to their groups
- identified as the most important variable among small groups
- enhanced cohesion is related to key outcomes for both individuals on the team and the team collectively
4 key characteristics of cohesion
- cohesion is dynamic (versus static)
- still cohesive but maybe for different reasons
- instrumental vs social (stop playing now friends still) - cohesion is multidimensional
- many different aspects - instrumental
- competitive, winning, goals - cohesion if affective
- friends, get along socially
a model of group cohesion
task aspect: orientation towards achieving the group objectives
social aspect: orientation towards developing and maintaining social relationship
-also takes in individual and group aspects
correlates of group cohesion
- environmental factors
- I am happy with this teams motivation to succeed, i like this teams styles of play - leadership factors
- I enjoy my social interactions with this group, some of my best friends play on this team - team factors
- our group is united in the belief about the benefits of the PA offered in this program, we all take responsibility for any loss/poor performance on our team - personal factors
- our team would like to spend time together in off season, members of our PA often socialize during exercise time
environmental correlates
group size and cohesion
-inverse relationship between group size and cohesion
leadership correlates
- pass ball even though you could get the point
- run slower so the team can all run together
leader’s decision style
- involving team-members in decision making (democratic leadership) leads to greater cohesion than the leader making decisions along (autocratic)
- supported across many sports
- results are similar for coach and athlete leaders
team building correlates
programs promoting an increase sense of unity and cohesiveness within a team
team building strategies
- target the group/team environment
- have a group name: distinctiveness
- have a group uniform:
- provide opportunities for the team to socialize: togetherness - group structure
- have a specific devoted places or sports ex) dressing room or exercise class:
- clearly defined roles: role clarity
- promote regular attendance and work ethic:
- concern for team mates/group members: group norms - group processes
- ask regulars to help out new members: sacrifice
- ask stronger player to let a new player have a chance: -form sub-groups to work on skills:
- do partner activities: interaction, communication, cooperation
- form group goals as a group
note about hazing
athletes who do or witness more hazing-type activities also report that their teams are less cohesive
personal characteristics correlates
adherence: correlates with cohesion in both exercise and sport settings
intention to return: cohesiveness of team correlates to intention to return the next year and actually returning
-independent of team success
individual effort: perceptions of cohesiveness relate to individual effort
-self report, max oxygen consumption
social loafing: the reduction in individual effort when individual work collectively compared to when they work alone
-cohesion neg related to social loafing
individual sacrifice: pos correlated with perceptions of cohesion
self-handicapping: using strategies that protect one’s self esteem by providing excuses for forth-coming events
-neg related to cohesion
-athletes may blame team to protect themselves
team/group correlates
team success: pos but small relationship between cohesion and group success
relationship strengthens when:
-cohesion is of task variety
-groups were naturally vs artificially formed
-when performance is defined as a behavior versus the results of a behavior
collective efficacy: a group’s shared perceptions of the groups capabilities to succeed at a given task
-pos correlates to team cohesion for elite but not recreational teams
psychological momentum “big mo”: a perception on the part of team members that the team is progressing towards its goal
-pos correlated with team cohesion only in one study
athletes starting status: correlates with team cohesion but only for those are unsuccessful teams
