INVESTIGATION OF TEAM COHESION IN CONTACT AND NON-CONTACT TEAM SPORTS

Joseph Reena, Binu George Varghese

Abstract


The purpose of the present study was to compare the level of team cohesion among male players participating in contact and non-contact team sports. For this purpose, football players represented the contact sport category, while volleyball players represented the non-contact sport category. A total of 60 male players, comprising 30 football players and 30 volleyball players aged between 18 and 25 years, were selected as subjects for the study. The study adopted a comparative descriptive research design. Team cohesion was assessed using the Group Environment Questionnaire (GEQ). The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and an independent samples t-test through the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). The level of significance was fixed at 0.05. The results of the study revealed a significant difference in team cohesion between football and volleyball players (t = 3.47, p < .05). Volleyball players demonstrated higher levels of team cohesion compared to football players. The findings suggest that the nature and demands of non-contact sports may contribute to stronger interpersonal relationships, coordination, and group unity among players. The study concluded that sport type significantly influences team cohesion in team sports.

Keywords


team cohesion, contact sports, non-contact sports, football, volleyball, sports psychology, group dynamics, male players

Full Text:

PDF

References


Allen, J. B. (2006). Team cohesion in sport: Current understanding and future directions. International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 1(1), 1–15.

Aoyagi, M. W., Cox, R. H., & McGuire, R. T. (2008). Organizational citizenship behavior in sport: Relationships with leadership, team cohesion, and athlete satisfaction. Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, 20(1), 25–41. https://doi.org/10.1080/10413200701784858

Benson, A. J., & Eys, M. A. (2017). Group dynamics in sport. In Oxford research encyclopedia of psychology. Oxford University Press. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/370552970_Group_Dynamics_in_Sport_5th_edition

Brawley, L. R., Carron, A. V., & Widmeyer, W. N. (1987). Assessing the cohesion of teams: Validity of the Group Environment Questionnaire. Journal of Sport Psychology, 9(3), 275–294. https://doi.org/10.1123/jsp.9.3.275

Bruner, M. W., Eys, M. A., Wilson, K. S., & Côté, J. (2014). Group cohesion and positive youth development in team sport athletes. Sport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology, 3(4), 219–227. https://doi.org/10.1037/spy0000017

Carron, A. V. (1982). Cohesiveness in sport groups: Interpretations and considerations. Journal of Sport Psychology, 4(2), 123–138. https://doi.org/10.1123/jsp.4.2.123

Carron, A. V., Colman, M. M., Wheeler, J., & Stevens, D. (2002). Cohesion and performance in sport: A meta-analysis. Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology, 24(2), 168–188. Retrieved from https://www.dcuci.univr.it/documenti/OccorrenzaIns/matdid/matdid121777.pdf

Carron, A. V., Widmeyer, W. N., & Brawley, L. R. (1989). The measurement of cohesion in sports teams: the Group Environment Questionnaire. Canadian journal of sport sciences = Journal canadien des sciences du sport, 14(1), 55–59. Retrieved from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2924223/

Casey-Campbell, M., & Martens, M. L. (2009). Sticking it all together: A critical assessment of the group cohesion–performance literature. International Journal of Management Reviews, 11(2), 223–246. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2370.2008.00239.x

Chang, Y. K., Hung, T. M., & Chen, C. H. (2012). The relationship between team cohesion and collective efficacy in sport teams. Social Behavior and Personality, 40(5), 711–718.

Cogan, K. D., & Petrie, T. A. (1995). Sport consultation: An evaluation of a season-long intervention with female collegiate gymnasts. The Sport Psychologist, 9(3), 282–296.

Cronin, L. D., & Allen, J. (2018). Developmental experiences and team cohesion in youth sport. International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 16(6), 578–593. https://doi.org/10.1123/tsp.2014-0045

Eys, M. A., Bruner, M. W., & Martin, L. J. (2019). The dynamic group environment in sport and exercise. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 42, 40–47. Retrieved from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1469029218305338

Eys, M. A., Carron, A. V., Bray, S. R., & Brawley, L. R. (2007). Item wording and internal consistency of a measure of cohesion. Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology, 29(3), 395–402. https://doi.org/10.1123/jsep.29.3.395

Eys, M. A., Loughead, T. M., Bray, S. R., & Carron, A. V. (2009). Development of a cohesion questionnaire for youth: The Youth Sport Environment Questionnaire. Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology, 31(3), 390–408. https://doi.org/10.1123/jsep.31.3.390

Filho, E., & Tenenbaum, G. (2015). Team mental models in sports: A systematic review. International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 8(1), 76–100. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781032649177-12

Filho, E., Dobersek, U., Gershgoren, L., Becker, B., & Tenenbaum, G. (2014). The cohesion-performance relationship in sport: A 10-year retrospective meta-analysis. Sport Sciences for Health, 10(3), 165–177. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11332-014-0188-7

Forsyth, D. R. (2018). Group dynamics (7th ed.). Cengage Learning. Retrieved from https://books.google.ro/books/about/Group_Dynamics.html?id=PJIJzgEACAAJ&redir_esc=y

Gardner, D. E., Shields, D. L., Bredemeier, B. L., & Bostrom, A. (1996). The relationship between perceived coaching behaviors and team cohesion among baseball and softball players. The Sport Psychologist, 10(4), 367–381. https://doi.org/10.1123/tsp.10.4.367

Granito, V. J., & Rainey, D. W. (1988). Differences in cohesion between contact and non-contact sports. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 66(2), 597–598.

Hardy, J., Eys, M. A., & Carron, A. V. (2005). Exploring the potential disadvantages of high cohesion in sports teams. Small Group Research, 36(2), 166–187. https://doi.org/10.1177/1046496404266715

Heuzé, J. P., Raimbault, N., & Fontayne, P. (2006). Relationships between cohesion, collective efficacy, and performance in professional basketball teams. Journal of Sports Sciences, 24(1), 59–68. https://doi.org/10.1080/02640410500127736

Holt, N. L., & Sparkes, A. C. (2001). An ethnographic study of cohesion in a university soccer team over a season. The Sport Psychologist, 15(3), 237–259. https://doi.org/10.1123/tsp.15.3.237

Horn, T. S. (2008). Advances in sport psychology (3rd ed.). Human Kinetics. Retrieved from https://books.google.ro/books/about/Advances_in_Sport_Psychology.html?id=wxDkz6akXiwC&redir_esc=y

Jowett, S., & Chaundy, V. (2004). An investigation into the impact of coach leadership and coach-athlete relationship on group cohesion. Group Dynamics: Theory, Research, and Practice, 8(4), 302–311. https://doi.org/10.1037/1089-2699.8.4.302?urlappend=%3Futm_source%3Dresearchgate.net%26utm_medium%3Darticle

Kozub, S. A., & McDonnell, J. F. (2000). Exploring the relationship between cohesion and collective efficacy in rugby teams. Journal of Sport Behavior, 23(2), 120–129. Retrieved from https://openurl.ebsco.com/EPDB%3Agcd%3A4%3A39614660/detailv2?sid=ebsco%3Aplink%3Ascholar&id=ebsco%3Agcd%3A3193798&crl=c&link_origin=www.google.com

Leo, F. M., González-Ponce, I., Sánchez-Miguel, P. A., Ivarsson, A., & García-Calvo, T. (2015). Role ambiguity, role conflict, team conflict, cohesion, and collective efficacy in sport teams. The Sport Psychologist, 29(3), 233–242. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2015.04.009

LeUnes, A., & Nation, J. (2002). Sport psychology (3rd ed.). Wadsworth.

Loughead, T. M., & Hardy, J. (2005). An examination of coach and peer leader behaviors in sport. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 6(3), 303–312. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2004.02.001

Martin, L. J., Carron, A. V., Eys, M. A., & Loughead, T. M. (2012). Validation of the observational assessment of cohesion tool in sport. Measurement in Physical Education and Exercise Science, 16(3), 202–218.

McLaren, C. D., & Spink, K. S. (2021). Examining cohesion and athlete satisfaction in university team sports. Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, 33(2), 145–160.

Moran, A. P. (2012). Sport and exercise psychology: A critical introduction (2nd ed.). Routledge. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203127650

Paradis, K. F., Carron, A. V., & Martin, L. J. (2014). Athlete perceptions of cohesion and leadership. International Journal of Sport Psychology, 45(4), 324–340.

Paskevich, D. M., Brawley, L. R., Dorsch, K. D., & Widmeyer, W. N. (1999). Relationship between collective efficacy and team cohesion. Journal of Sport Behavior, 22(1), 53–66. https://doi.org/10.1037/1089-2699.3.3.210?urlappend=%3Futm_source%3Dresearchgate.net%26utm_medium%3Darticle

Pescosolido, A. T., & Saavedra, R. (2012). Cohesion and sports teams: A review. Small Group Research, 43(6), 744–758. https://doi.org/10.1177/1046496412465020

Rubin, K. H., Bukowski, W. M., & Parker, J. G. (2006). Peer interactions, relationships, and groups. In Handbook of child psychology (6th ed., pp. 571–645). Wiley. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/242408974_Peer_Interactions_Relationships_and_Groups

Salas, E., Sims, D. E., & Burke, C. S. (2005). Is there a “Big Five” in teamwork? Small Group Research, 36(5), 555–599. https://doi.org/10.1177/1046496405277134

Shields, D. L., Gardner, D. E., Bredemeier, B. L., & Bostrom, A. (1997). The relationship between leadership behaviors and group cohesion in team sports. Journal of Psychology, 131(2), 196–210. https://doi.org/10.1080/00223989709601964

Short, S. E., Sullivan, P., & Feltz, D. L. (2005). Development and preliminary validation of the collective efficacy questionnaire for sports. Measurement in Physical Education and Exercise Science, 9(3), 181–202. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15327841mpee0903_3

Spink, K. S. (1990). Group cohesion and collective efficacy of volleyball teams. Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology, 12(3), 301–311. Retrieved from https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Group-cohesion-and-collective-efficacy-of-teams.-Spink/255ec41065b45fdf5b6f7aedd31c12310f7c3fbe

Sullivan, P. J., & Feltz, D. L. (2003). The preliminary development of the Scale for Effective Communication in Team Sports (SECTS). Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 33(8), 1693–1715. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1559-1816.2003.tb01970.x

Terry, P. C. (1984). The coaching preferences of elite athletes competing at Universiade ’83. Canadian Journal of Applied Sport Sciences, 9(4), 201–208. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/16670060_The_coaching_preferences_of_elite_athletes_competing_at_Universiade_'83

Terry, P. C., & Carron, A. V. (1992). The influence of game location on athletes’ psychological states. Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology, 14(1), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1440-2440(98)80006-6

Turman, P. D. (2003). Coaches and cohesion: The impact of coaching techniques on team unity. Journal of Sport Behavior, 26(1), 86–104. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/283437638_Coaches_and_cohesion_The_impact_of_coaching_techniques_on_team_cohesion_in_the_small_group_sport_setting

Vealey, R. S. (2007). Mental skills training in sport. In Handbook of Sport Psychology, Third Edition (pp.285 - 309). https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118270011.ch13

Weinberg, R. S., & Gould, D. (2019). Foundations of sport and exercise psychology (7th ed.). Human Kinetics. Retrieved from https://books.google.ro/books/about/Foundations_of_Sport_and_Exercise_Psycho.html?hl=id&id=dO56DwAAQBAJ&redir_esc=y

Westre, K. R., & Weiss, M. R. (1991). The relationship between perceived coaching behaviors and group cohesion in high school football teams. The Sport Psychologist, 5(1), 41–54. https://doi.org/10.1123/tsp.5.1.41

Widmeyer, W. N., Brawley, L. R., & Carron, A. V. (1985). The measurement of cohesion in sport teams: The Group Environment Questionnaire. London, Ontario: Sports Dynamics. Retrieved from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2924223/

Yukelson, D. (1997). Principles of effective team-building interventions in sport. The Sport Psychologist, 11(1), 73–96. Retrieved from https://bpb-us-e1.wpmucdn.com/sites.psu.edu/dist/6/17619/files/2014/11/Yukelson-Principles-of-Effective-Team-Building-in-Sport-at-Penn-State-University-copy.pdf?bid=17619

Zaccaro, S. J., Blair, V., Peterson, C., & Zazanis, M. (1995). Collective efficacy and team effectiveness. Small Group Research, 26(3), 305–328.




DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.46827/ejpe.v13i4.6749

Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


Copyright (c) 2026 Joseph Reena, Binu George Varghese

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Copyright © 2015 - 2026. European Journal of Physical Education and Sport Science (ISSN 2501 - 1235) is a registered trademark of Open Access Publishing Group. All rights reserved.

This journal is a serial publication uniquely identified by an International Standard Serial Number (ISSN) serial number certificate issued by Romanian National Library (Biblioteca Nationala a Romaniei). All the research works are uniquely identified by a CrossRef DOI digital object identifier supplied by indexing and repository platforms. All authors who send their manuscripts to this journal and whose articles are published on this journal retain full copyright of their articles. All the research works published on this journal are meeting the Open Access Publishing requirements and can be freely accessed, shared, modified, distributed and used in educational, commercial and non-commercial purposes under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).