Cohesion.

PSYCHOLOGY FOR SPORTS PERFORMANCE.

Aim & Objectives.Aim: By the end of this session student will

Explain how cohesion can affect sports performance and how the coach can create effective team climate.

Objectives: By the end of this session students will

Define group cohesion.Describe task and social cohesion.Explain how the coaches role in creating a

effect team climate.

Cohesion. ‘the total number of forces which act on

members to remain in the group.’ (Festinger et al, 1950)

These forces will tend to cover to areas:The attractiveness of the group to the individual

members.The extent in which the member are willing to

work together to achieve their goals. What are the positives to being a member of a

team? Are there any disadvantages?

Task: Place the following team sports in order depending upon the level of interaction (Cohesion) needed to be successful.

Rowing (Eights)Golf teamVolleyballSynchronised

swimming teamTennis doubles

Bobsleigh (Fours)Cycling team4 x 100m relay

teamCricket

(Batting/fielding)Curling.

CohesionAthletes other report that cohesion is a

form of satisfaction in their lives. However, it has been argued that cohesive teams are not always the most successful. Therefore, it has suggested that cohesion has two distinct aspects.

Task cohesion & social cohesion. It is often said that task cohesion comes

first. This is the degree to which members work

together and are committed to achieve common goals, such as winning a match.

Cohesion. If the team is showing task cohesion

frequently then social cohesion will follow. Is the degree to which group members like

each other and get on well, trust and support each other.

However, history has shown many examples where individuals have no interpersonal attraction and are still successful.

Discussion. In pairs discuss which if any is more

important for sporting success.

From this discussion write down your overall answer.

Cohesion.In summary, cohesion is important in

successful teams, and that task cohesion is more important than social cohesion.

The definition that can be used to explain cohesion as a whole 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 objections.

(Weinburg and Gould, (1995))

Creating an effective team climate. Team climate refers to how well the

different players in a team get on with each other. The key to this is how well the players

perceive the relationship with other players.The coach has the most important role in

building an effective team climate, but first the coach has to assess team climate.

The two common ways in assessing it are through the use of sociograms and questionnaires.

Questionnaire.

The group questionnaire looks at how attractive the group is to member within the same group.

The more individuals are attracted to the group the higher levels of team cohesion.

These are used to find out who like who and to prevent people from getting left out or cliques forming.

They are done by asking questions such as: Who do you get on with most when not at training?

The response from these questions is then used to find the more or loss popular in the group.

Team climate.

Sociograms

You are to come up with different questions that you could ask a team in order to come a sociograms.

Try to complete on for this group.

The names are linked by arrows, with the direction of arrows showing who likes who.

Task

Example.

Re-capHow do we define cohesion?

What is task cohesion?What is social cohesion?

What role does the coach play when creating an affective team climate.

What is a sociogram?

Aim & Objectives.Aim: By the end of this session student will

Explain how cohesion can affect sports performance and how the coach can create effective team climate.

Objectives: By the end of this session students will

Define group cohesion.Describe task and social cohesion.Explain how the coaches role in creating a

effect team climate.

Next session. Cohesion:

Factors affecting cohesionRelationship between cohesion and

performance.