CH 8 – Group Cohesion.docVIP

CH 8 – Group Cohesion Some teams are successful because they get along. Some teams are successful even when the team mates are not friends. But to be successful, a team needs all of its players working together as a cohesive unit during competition. Cohesion Cohesion – a dynamic process that is reflected in the tendency for a group to stick together and remain united in pursuit of its instrumental objectives and/or for the satisfaction of member affective needs. Many factors related to why a group sticks together Dynamic – can change over time Groups are created for a purpose Social interactions produce feelings among group members Cohesion is a combination of task and social dimensions. Task cohesion – the degree that group members work together to achieve common goals Social cohesion – reflects the degrees to which members of a team like each other and enjoy one another’s company A Conceptual Model of Cohesion Four major factors affecting the development of cohesion in sport and exercise settings: Environment Personal Leadership Team factors Environmental factors Players are under contract to the management Athletes hold scholarships Family members have expectations of athletes Geographic restrictions – must play for school district. Regulations requiring that athletes play so many innings/minutes Fees for exercise program Proximity Eligibility requirements Size of the group – smaller is better for cohesion Level of competition – HS more cohesive than college Distinctive groups are more cohesive – uniforms, names, etc. Personal factors a. The individual characteristics of group members. While environmental factors are fairly constant, personal factors have a great deal of variation: Individual satisfaction – cognitions and motives (attribution s for responsibility, anxiety level, etc,) Demographic attributes (similarities in attitudes, aspirations, commitments, and expectations with teammates) Goal expectations, codes of conduct for games or competitions, and e