Team Dynamics

We know that being a part of a team can fulfill a fundamental need of connectedness for human beings. As discussed in class, being part of a sport team can satisfy this need by all of the following except:

Affiliation tends to be unidimensional in that it tends to only be relevant within team sport environments and not other types of group environments

Which of the following statements is true regarding the relationship between player turnover and team performance?

B and C only

All of the following would be considered characteristics of how we define cohesion in sport psychology except?

Cohesion is stable across time and rarely changes throughout a season once it is established

Research would suggest that as long as individuals have common goals, some type of structure or organization, and at least occasional interaction they would likely meet the criteria for a group or team.

False

The relationship between cohesion and performance is stronger for team sports compared to individual sports.

False

When there is a low expectation or norm for success on a team, cohesion also positively influences team performance.

False

While there are several benefits associated with being a part of a sport team, we also know that several different types of negative behaviors can undermine the utility of groups. For example, group members might report feeling some pressure to conform to the ideas of other members. In addition there can be a shared and false sense of unanimous agreement while ignoring alternative options or ideas as a way to complete a task. This maladaptive function of groups is best described as:

Groupthink

Several factors have been identified as being related to group cohesion. For example, personal factors of each team member including their behaviors and cognitions influence a team's cohesion, as illustrated by which of the following as an example?

How satisfied an athlete might be on the team and how much effort the put into practices and competitions

Jenna is a senior on her rowing team. Despite never having been designated as a captain on her team, over the years she has surfaced as a consistent leader based on her positive attitude which has lead to younger teammates to look up to her for guidance and support. Given her influence on the team, Jenna's role would best be described as a(n) __________ role.

Informal

A level of performance, pattern of behavior, or beliefs that carry specific expectations that members are to follow are known as:

Norms

Research regarding the effect of cohesion on team performance had suggested that:

Research has shown mixed results in which increased cohesion can lead to both enhanced and decreased performances among a team, but it appears that higher levels of cohesion is related to improved performance

Research in sport and exercise psychology has examined the relationship between role ambiguity, role conflict, and performance among sport teams. Based on the results of this area of study, it appears that which of the following is true?

Role ambiguity and conflict are negatively related to performance

The degree to which members of a team or group understand their individual role and its associated behaviors is known as:

Role clarity

Research in sport and exercise psychology has examined the relationship between role clarity, role acceptance, and team cohesion among sport teams. Based on the results of this area of study, it appears that which of the following is true?

Role clarity and acceptance are positively associated with team cohesion

Groups have been defined in a variety of ways. Researchers who focus on conceptualizing groups based on members' interaction with one another would likely be defining groups based on:

The existence of group processes

Several factors have been identified as being related to group cohesion. For example, environmental or situational factors have the ability to influence a team's cohesion, as illustrated by which of the following as an example?

The size of a team in terms of the number of players

Generally speaking, which of the following might be considered a potential advantage that results from turnover within a sport team?

Turnover among teams can impact the motivation of team members