Cohesion
was measured by a Group Environment Questionnaire (GEQ). The questionnaire was
administered one week prior to the announcement of those who would travel on
the spring training trip, after returning home from the trip, and at the end
of the season. Members of losing teams exhibited significant decreases in
Attraction to Group-Task and Group Integration-Task, while perceptions of task
cohesion from members of winning teams were not enhanced. Members of losing
teams also exhibited significant decreases in Group Integration-Social, while
members of winning teams showed no effect once again.
A 2 x 3 MANOVA
(Success x Time) with repeated measures on the second factor was used to
evaluate the effect of team success (win/loss) on cohesion. Results indicated:
(a) a significant success main effect (p = .002); (b) a significant time main
effect (p = .0001); and (c) a significant Success x Time interaction (p =
.0015).
The winners had
significantly better ATG-T sub-scale scores than the losers at T3, the end of
the regular season.. Those baseball teams with losing records indicated a
lower mean score on the ATG-T sub-scale than those with a winning record. (ATG-T)
from the time immediately following the spring trip (T2; M = 6.939) to the end
of the season (T3; M = 5.356) was found, resulting in a difference between
those baseball teams with winning records and those with losing records.
In
their conclusion they felt that losing most definitely had a direct effect on
cohesion whereas winning didn’t make a change.
Baltzer, T. A. (1977). The
effect of the winning-losing record of selected basketball teams on cohesion.
University of Oregon Microforms.
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Brawley, L. R., Carron, A. V.
& Widmeyer, W. N. (1987). Assessing the cohesion of teams: Validity of the
Group Environmental Questionnaire. Journal of Sport Psychology, 2, 275-294.
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Cohesiveness in sport groups: Interpretations and considerations. Journal of
Sport Psychology, 4, 123-138.
Carron, A. V., & Garvie, G.
T. (1978). Compatibility and successful performance. Perceptual and Motor
Skills, 46, 1121-1122.
Fox, E. C. (1984). Team
cohesion, ability and coaches' leadership effectiveness as predictors of
success in women's intercollegiate softball. University of Oregon Microforms.
Landers, D. M. & Crum, T.
(1971). The effects of team success and formal structure on interpersonal
relations and cohesiveness of baseball teams. International Journal of Sport
Psychology, 2, 88-96.
Li, F. & Harmer, P. (1996).
Confirmatory factor analysis of the group environment questionnaire with an
intercollegiate sample. Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 18(1),
49-63.
Stein, A. A. (1976). Conflict
and cohesion: A review of literature. Journal of Conflict Resolution, 20,
143-172.
Straub, W. F. (1975). Team
cohesiveness in athletics. International Journal of Sport Psychology, 6,
125-133.
Turner, J. C., Hogg, M. A.,
Turner, P. J., & Smith, P. M. (1984). Failure and defeat as determinants
of group cohesiveness. British Journal of Social Psychology, 23, 97111.
Widmeyer, W. N., Brawley, L. R.,
& Carron A. V. (1985). The measurement of cohesion in sport teams: The
group environment questionnaire. London, Ontario: Sport Dynamics.
Widmeyer, W. N., & Martens,
R. (1978). When cohesion predicts performance outcome in sport. Research
Quarterly, 49, 372-380.
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