group cohesion Flashcards
definition of cohesion?
the total field of forces which act on members to remain in the group
what are the 2 forces that act on members in a group?
attractiveness of the group
means control
what is meant by ‘attractiveness of the group’?
individuals desire for interpersonal interactions with other group members and a desire to be involved in the group’s activities
what is meant by ‘means control’?
benefits that a member can derive by being associated with the group
what is Carron and colleagues definition of cohesion?
a dynamic process that is reflected in the tendency for a group to stick together and remain united in pursuit of its objectives and/or for the satisfaction of member affective needs
what is task cohesion?
degree to which members of a group work together to achieve common goals
what is social cohesion?
degree to which members of a team like each other and enjoy one another’s company (interpersonal attraction)
why is the definition of cohesion better from Carron and colleagues than Festinger and colleagues?
addresses both the task and social aspects of cohesion
what 4 factors does Carron identify as affecting the development of cohesion?
- environmental
- personal
- leadership
- team
what is meant by ‘environmental factors’?
normative forces holding a group together
e.g age and contracts
what is the relationship between group size and levels of cohesion?
smaller groups are more cohesive than larger groups
what is meant by ‘personal factors’?
the individual characteristics of group members
- demographic attributes
- cognitions and motives
- behaviour
what is the most important personal factor associated with task and social cohesion?
and another factor?
individual satisfaction
similarity in attitudes and expectations
benefits to individuals related to cohesion?
self-efficacy, high return rates and passion
decreased levels of anxiety and depression
what is meant by ‘leadership factors’?
the leadership style and behaviours that profressionals exhibit and the relationships they establish with their groups
clear, consistent commuication from coaches and captains influences cohesion
what coach behaviours can decrease feelings of cohesion?
inequity, embarrassment and ridicule
what is meant by ‘team factors’?
group task characteristics, group productivity norms, desire for group success, group roles, group position and team stability
especiall shared experiences of winning or losing
collective efficacy related to cohesion
what are the 2 types of measures for measuring cohesion?
questionnaires
sociograms
what questionnaire was used to measure cohesion in the early days?
Sport Cohesiveness Questionnaire
7 tems measuring interpersonal attraction or attraction to group
issues with the SPort Cohesiveness Questionnaire?
no reliability or validity measures established
measured mainly social cohesion
what does the Group Environment Questionnaire distinguish between?
individual and the group
task and social cohesion
what 2 categories is the GEQ based on?
how members perceive the group (group integration)
how attractive the group is to individual members
difference between questionnaires and sociograms?
questionnaires don’t show how individuals relate to each other or whether some members are socially isolated
what does the sociogram measure?
social cohesion e.g which are your top 3 favourite team members
reveals pattern of interpersonal relationships in a group
what is the structure of a sociogram?
more frequently chosen indivduals in the centre
less frequently chosen on the outside `
what percentage of studies reported a positive relationship between cohesion and performance?
83%
92%
what are some examples of task-oriented interventions?
team goal setting
team communication
understanding and conforming to team roles and norms
what are some examples of social-oriented interventions?
team camp-outs
ropes and challenge courses
social get-togethers
personal growth experiences
what do interactive sports require?
team members to work together and coordinate their actions
what do coactive sports require?
much less, if any, team interaction and coordination for the achivement of goals than interactive sports
name of a sport that is both coactive and interactive?
baseball
what did Carron and colleagues find about the relationship between task type and performance?
no difference in levels of cohesiveness and performance in coactive or interactive sports
what is the direction of casuality debate?
whether cohesion leads to imporved performance or whether improved performance leads to imporved cohesion
what direction of causality was found in an intercollegiate female field hockey team?
performance on cohesion
what have most recent reviews found about direction of causality?
no difference between cohesion on performance and performance on cohesion
what is teh believed relationship between cohesion and performance?
it is circular
performance success leads to increased cohesion which in turn leads to increased performance
what are teh 6 other factors affecting cohesion apart from performance?
team satisfaction conformity adherence social support stability group goals
describe the relationship between cohesion and team satisfaction?
strong relaitonship
model 1: cohesion to performance to success to greater levels of individual satisfaction to increased cohesion
model 2: performance success lead to higher cohesion leading to greater satisfaction
describe the relationship between cohesion and conformity?
more cohesive the group the more influence it has on individual members
greater cohesion leads to greater conformity to group’s norms for productivity
describe the relationship between cohesion and adherence?
more cohesive will attend more, arrive on time, less likely to drop out, more resistant to disruptions, greater efficacy beliefs and positive exercise affect
group size doesn’t influence this relationship
describe the relationship between social support and cohesion?
positive relationship between social support individual receives and evaluation of group cohesion
describe the relationship between stability and cohesion?
longer team is together, more likely that cohesion will develop and the more cohesive it becomes, the less likely members will leave
stabilty = turnover rate for members and length of time group has been together
describe the relationship between group goals and cohesion?
teams engaging in goal setting and had satisfaction with goal setting have higher levels of team cohesion
most important contributor to task cohesion and second most important contributor to social cohesion?
team goal + its acceptance
what is the link between cohesion and those participating in exercise settings?
those with higher feelings of cohesion attend more regularly and more punctually
how to maintain sense of cohesion in larger groups?
implement an appropriate team-building program
what are the exercises to help achieve the principles of team building?
group norms - group decides on unacceptable and acceptable behaviours
individual roles - learn what other player’s expect of them
distinctiveness - travelling to competitions together and same kit
individual sacrifice
communication and interaction
What are the benefits of cohesion?
Improved performance
Increased adherence
Increased satisfaction
Higher collective efficacy
Reduced social loading
Lowered anxiety
what factors have been found to relate most to cohesion in the mid season?
clear roles
team goals
communication
self-sacrifice
what factors have been found to relate most to cohesion at the end of the season
the same 4 factors as during the midseason but to varying degrees
what is the role of the MAPS model and what does it stand for?
to help guide the building of sports teams
Mission - setting team-oriented goals
Assessment - idetifying strengths and weaknesses within the team
Plan - action plans for teams and individuals
Systematic evaluation - reflecting on overall progress towards goals
how coaches and leaders can foster group cohesion:
the correct form of communication
openness and voicing opinions encouraged (to develop cohesiveness)
enable team meetings to voice opinions
identify popular members and adopt as a means of communication
how coaches and leaders can foster group cohesion:
the way to present roles
emphasise importance of individual roles in team success
clearly outline roles
have players play in other positions
how coaches and leaders can foster group cohesion:
how to treat subunits in teams
allow them to develop pride and distinctiveness
how coaches and leaders can foster group cohesion:
how to set goals
set challenging and specific performance individual and group goals
how long should team-building programs be in order to be effective?
over 2 weeks to have moderate effect
does team building have more effect on individual or interactive sports teams?
individual
what is the effect of team building on the types of cohesion?
no effect on task cohesion
small positive effect on social cohesion
large positive effects on performance and individual satisfaction
how coaches and leaders can foster group cohesion:
how to deal with social cliques
negative impact on team as usually form when the team is losing
determine why they are forming and break them up
how coaches and leaders can foster group cohesion:
how to deal with high turnover rates
have veterans make ewcomers feel welcome and comfortable
how coaches and leaders can foster group cohesion:
how to enhance team efficacy
emphasising players contributions to the team efforts
focusing on self-improvement not just winning
what is involved in the 4 step model to team building?
introductory stage
conceptual stage
practical stage
intervention stage
barriers to group cohesion?
clash of personalities and members struggling for power breakdown in communication conflict of roles frequent turnover of members disagreement about goals
what are some things group members can do to facilitate a cohesive unit?
get to know and help group members positively reinforce other members communicate openly and honestly be resposible immediately resolve conflicts give 100% effort all the time
