pe studies - sport psychology

leadership styles

coaches use different ways to get their message across to players which can be influenced by the personality of the coaches, motivation of the players, phase of the season etc.

three leadership styles

authoritarian, democratic and laissez-faire

authoritarian

coach makes all the decisions and players follow what they are told

democratic

coach makes decisions but involves the players in the decision making process

laissez-faire

coach makes few decisions and team takes ownership and makes decisions

group cohesion

used to describe the extent to which a group stays together and united in the pursuit of common goals and objectives

task cohesion

how committed a team is in achieving the predetermined performance goals

social cohesion

the degree in which team members like each other and enjoy being together

impact personal performance - authoritarian

improves performance, decreases creativity, motivation and decision making and feelings of undervalued

impact personal performance - democratic

boosts confidence and motivation, decreases in effectiveness if not experienced and encourages critical thinking

impact personal performance - laissez-faire

builds leadership and lack of direction and confusion in less confident players

impact personal performance - task cohesion

boost motivation and focus, encourages goal alignment leading to fewer distractions and causes pressure/stress if a player feels responsible for the team underperforming

impact personal performance - social cohesion

creates supportive environment, reduces anxiety and increases enjoyment

impact team performance - authoritarian

useful in high pressure situations making quick decisions, team cohesion/morals decreases due to less communication and doesnt promote initiative among players

impact team performance - democratic

promotes strong team cohesion and respect, more likley to use strategies and play with purpose and slower decision making

impact team performance - laissez-faire

strong sense of ownership among team and risk of inconsistent performance and conflict if roles arent clear

impact team performance - task cohesion

leads to better strategy execution, encourages accountability reducing selfish plays and improves performance under pressure

impact team performance - social cohesion

enhances team morals and communication, helps with conflict resolutions and can sometimes distract from performance goals if social bonds become stronger than task focus

social loafing

the tendency of individuals to lessen their efforts when they are apart of a group and decreases team cohesion

relationship between social loading and group cohesion

low group cohesion increases the likelihood of social loafing and high group cohesion reduces social loafing because players feel accountable, care about each other and there is a shared commitment to success

impact team performance - social loafing

reduces overall team output, lower morals if teammates notice unequal efforts and in high cohesion teams they can identify and address social loafing leading to stronger group outcomes

impact personal performance - social loafing

decreases motivation and efforts, less improvement due to lower personal commitment and in high cohesion teams they are more likely to stay engaged and work harder

strategies to improve group cohesion

use of leadership, communication, goal setting, team building and roles and expectations

use of leadership

gives groups a greater sense of power whilst entrusting the players with setting standards both on and off the field, established during the forming stage of team development and develops both social and task cohesion

communication

regular and clearly making sure everyone understands their roles, be fair and consistent in dealing with players, maintain honest and open communication and develops both social and task cohesion

goal setting

setting challenging but realistic goals for the team and individuals, make it clear, goals can be in subunits and develops task cohesion