Cohesion in exercise groups: an overview

The purpose of the present paper is to outline the results from research that has focused on cohesion effects in exercise groups. The review contains six sections. In the first section, the constitutive definition of cohesion is provided and typical operational definitions used to assess the construct in physical activity contexts are outlined. In the second section, the question of whether cohesion is relevant in exercise groups is addressed. In the third section, we focus on the results from research that has focused on individual preferences for group- versus individual-based contexts for physical activity. Finally, the next three sections focus on results associated with the explanation (why is it?), prediction (what will be?), and intervention/control (how can we?) stages of science in relation to cohesion and physical activity-related behaviors, cognitions, and affective responses.     

Teamwork in sport: a theoretical and integrative review

A commonly held belief in sports is the need for team members to be able to work well together in order for that team to be successful. Despite this assumption, research in the field of sport psychology has yet to formally or sufficiently conceptualize what is meant by teamwork. In this theoretical and integrative review, we draw from the extant organizational psychology and team development literature to present a multidimensional conceptual framework of teamwork in sport. We provide a working definition of teamwork in sport and discuss how teamwork sits within a broader model of team effectiveness. We conclude by providing an overview of salient research avenues on teamwork and team effectiveness in sport, which have potential implications for guiding interventions with sports teams.     

Cohesion,team mental models,and collective efficacy: towards an integrated framework of team dynamics in sport

A nomological network on team dynamics in sports consisting of a multiframework perspective is introduced and tested. The aim was to explore the interrelationship among cohesion, team mental models (TMMs), collective efficacy (CE) and perceived performance potential (PPP). Three hundred and forty college-aged soccer players representing 17 different teams (8 female and 9 male) participated in the study. They responded to surveys on team cohesion, TMMs, CE and PPP. Results are congruent with the theoretical conceptualisation of a parsimonious view of team dynamics in sports. Specifically, cohesion was found to be an exogenous variable predicting both TMMs and CE beliefs. TMMs and CE were correlated and predicted PPP, which in turn accounted for 59% of the variance of objective performance scores as measured by teams’ season record. From a theoretical standpoint, findings resulted in a parsimonious view of team dynamics, which may represent an initial step towards clarifying the epistemological roots and nomological network of various team-level properties. From an applied standpoint, results suggest that team expertise starts with the establishment of team cohesion. Following the establishment of cohesiveness, teammates are able to advance team-related schemas and a collective sense of confidence. Limitations and key directions for future research are outlined.     

Development and validation of an inventory to assess conflict in sport teams: the Group Conflict Questionnaire

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to develop and validate a conceptually and psychometrically sound conflict questionnaire for sport. The development process involved 3 phases: (a) a qualitative phase, (b) a content and factorial validity phase and (c) a construct validity phase. A total of 50 items were generated and sent to 6 experts to determine content validity. Through this process, 25 items were retained and administered to a sample of athletes (n = 437) to determine factorial validity. Based on these results, a second sample (n = 305) was administered the 14-item version of the Group Conflict Questionnaire along with the Group Environment Questionnaire, the Athlete Satisfaction Questionnaire and the Passion Scale to test convergent, discriminant and known-group difference validity. Cross-validation from both samples via confirmatory factor analysis yielded moderate-to-acceptable model fit, thus supporting factorial validity for the 14-item version. Additionally, initial support for convergent validity and known-group difference validity and partial support for discriminant validity were found. A sport-specific conflict questionnaire is now available for researchers to utilise. Results and research implications are discussed.     

Influence of sport type and interdependence on the developmental experiences of youth male athletes

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between sport type, interdependence (task and outcome), and the developmental experiences of select male basketball players (n=129) and middle-distance runners (n=83) aged 14–17 years. Athletes completed the Youth Experiences Survey 2.0 (Hansen & Larson, 2005) and a modified measure assessing task and outcome interdependence (Van der Vegt, Emans, & Van de Vliert, 1998 Vliert, 2001). Hierarchical multiple regression determined that basketball players reported higher rates of teamwork and social skills, adult networks and social capital, and negative experiences. Furthermore, outcome interdependence was a predictor of identity exploration, initiative, emotional regulation, positive relationships, teamwork and social skills, and adult networks and social capital experiences independent of sport type. Although different sports may provide different learning environments, the developmental experiences youth garner may be more strongly influenced by how the people involved interact (outcome interdependence) than by the type of sport.     

浅谈运动团体中的群体凝聚力

群体凝聚力是反映运动团体群体心理特征的一个重要指标。它是运动团体存在和发展的基本要求,其高低直接影响团体的运动成绩。国外对群体凝聚力的研究起步较早,研究理论已经较为完备,我国在这方面研究成果较少,也存在一些问题,特别是运动团体群体凝聚力的研究领域,其研究成果更为稀缺。本文在搜集大量国内外文献资料的基础之上,通过对群体凝聚力的概念述说,影响因素的阐述,提出了一些增强运动团体群体凝聚力的方法与途径。     

Confirmatory factor analysis of the Sport Emotion Questionnaire in organisational environments

The Sport Emotion Questionnaire (SEQ) (Jones, M. V., Lane, A. M., Bray, S. R., Uphill, M., & Catlin, J. (2005). Development and validation of the SEQ. Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 27, 407–431) was developed and initially validated to assess sport performers’ pre-competitive emotions. The purpose of this study was to test the factor structure of the SEQ in a different environment (viz. organisational) and at a different time point (viz. the past month). A further aim was to examine if the SEQ was invariant across different groups of sport performers. A diverse sample of athletes (n = 1277) completed the questionnaire. Fit indices from confirmatory factor analyses provided partial support for the hypothesised measurement model, with equal or better fit demonstrated than evident in initial validation. The comparative fit index values were above acceptable guidelines for all factors at subscale level. Evidence was also found for the invariance of the SEQ across different groups. Overall, the findings support the reliability and validity of the SEQ as a measure of the emotions experienced by sport performers in an organisational environment during the past month.     

Positive organizational psychology in sport

The purpose of this paper is to review the literature relating to the positive aspects of organizational psychology research in sport. To this end, the narrative is divided into three main sections. The first section defines and delimits relevant concepts, including organizational psychology, positive psychology and positive organizing. The second section presents the background to positive organizational psychology in sport and provides an overview of positive environments, behaviours and outcomes in sport. The third section speculates about the future of this area of inquiry, suggesting that attention needs to focus on positive organizational scholarship and behaviour, together with methodological considerations, in order to advance our understanding and practice.     

The role of psychological factors in sport injury rehabilitation outcomes

Although physical factors have ascended to a position of primacy in explaining and guiding treatment toward attaining sport injury rehabilitation outcomes, psychological factors may also play an important role in the rehabilitation process. This review examines correlational studies (N=26) in which significant relationships between psychological factors have been found and experimental studies (N=14) in which the effects of psychological factors on sport injury rehabilitation outcomes have been assessed. A variety of personal, cognitive, affective, and behavioral factors associated with sport injury rehabilitation outcomes have been identified and several interventions have been found effective in enhancing sport injury rehabilitation outcomes. Theoretical, empirical, and practical considerations for developing a research agenda to explicate the role of psychological factors in sport injury rehabilitation outcomes are discussed.     

Community sport and social inclusion: international perspectives

Abstract

This opening article examines the relationship between community sport and social inclusion in research and practice. We discuss the notion of community sport, its multifarious meanings and diverse applications in different parts of the world. We further explore the conceptual and practical links between community sport and different conceptions of social inclusion. In doing so, the article draws together key themes, issues and debates addressed in the collection of articles in this special issue. We conclude by formulating implications and directions for future research and practice.     

赛事群概念的初探及上海市赛事群的构建

随着城市经济的发展,赛事规模不断的扩大和数量的不断增加,传统的赛事管理出现了诸多困难。本研究引入赛事群概念,引导体育赛事管理视域从一维走向多维,无疑是个重大的突破,将给城市体育赛事发展带来新的篇章。同时本研究按照不同标准对赛事群进行分类,以上海市为例构建了四大类赛事群和不同的赛事亚群,为赛事群管理搭建了一个初步的理论分析框架。     

上海市社区群众性体育健身团队的调查研究

运用文献资料、实地调查和数理统计等方法对上海市社区群众性体育健身团队的现状进行了深入的调查研究和分析.结果显示:健身团队主要以中老年人为主,女性多于男性;不同区(县)的社区健身团队发展不平衡,分布不合理;绝大多数团队的活动仅能满足于日常锻炼,缺乏场地设施和展示平台,活动规模和水平不高.提出了发展和建设社区健身团队的相应对策和建议.     

Proposing application of results in sport and exercise research reports

The application of sport and exercise research findings to practice requires careful interpretation and integration of evidence. This paper reviews principles of evidence-based practice and the application of research in sports and exercise, in order to provide recommendations on developing appropriate application sections in research reports for sport and exercise journals. The strength of recommendations for application fall into one of four levels, with potential applications qualified as strong, limited, preliminary, or hypothesized. Specific limitations that should be discussed in framing recommendations for practice are also noted for each of these levels that should be useful for authors, and for practitioners and clinicians in interpreting these recommendations.     

"健康运动理念"在群体活动中的作用透析

从高校体育育人目标出发,研究"健康运动理念与群体活动"融汇贯通、递进发展问题,是深化高等学校课外体育教育,提升课外体育质量的重要内容。在立足学校、面向基层的改革实践中开发院系体育,构建群体活动健康发展的新模式,发掘适应自身发展的"健康运动机制",具有很强的应用性特征。     

Drivers of illicit drug use regulation in Australian sport

Most Australian sport stakeholders not only believe that government regulation is a good thing, but also assume that intervention in the drug-use problem will improve sport's social outcomes and operational integrity. In this paper we examine the regulation of illicit drug use in Australian sport through an interrogation of two cases: the Australian Football League and the National Rugby League. Using Pierre Bourdieu's conceptual frames of social field, capital, and habitus, we aim to secure a clearer understanding of the drivers of Australian sport's illicit drug regulations by (1) identifying those stakeholders who set the drug regulation agenda, (2) revealing the values and dispositions that underpin these regulations, and (3) explaining how dominant stakeholders go about sustaining their position and marginalising those stakeholders with opposing drug regulation claims. Our results show that Australian sport's drug-use regulations are driven by a set of values and dispositions that views sport as an instrument for shaping the character of its participants, and drugs as a threat to sport's moral fabric and good standing. The dominant stakeholders, comprising the Commonwealth Government, its sport agencies, and the major governing bodies for sport, imposed these values and dispositions on peripheral stakeholders by designing a drugs-in-sport social field that yielded capital and power to only those participants who endorsed these values and dispositions. Peripheral stakeholders – including players, their agents, and drug-treatment professionals – who mostly shared different values and dispositions, were sidelined, and denied the opportunity of adding to their already limited supplies of capital, power, and policy making influence.     

体育比赛中的客场劣势及其对策

客场劣势对比赛成绩的影响不容忽视。针对引起客场劣势的观众、气候、化、时差、裁判、比赛动机等主要因素的分析，提出降低客场劣势的训练措施，帮助教练员和运动员在比赛中把客场劣势降低到最小程度。     

The effect of biofeedback training on affective regulation and simulated car-racing performance: A multiple case study analysis

Abstract

In this study, we wished to investigate the factors that determine the direction of the spin axis of a pitched baseball. Nineteen male baseball pitchers were recruited to pitch fastballs. The pitching motion was recorded with a three-dimensional motion analysis system (1000 Hz), and the orientations of the hand segment in a global coordinate system were calculated using Euler rotation angles. Reflective markers were attached to the ball, and the direction of the spin axis was calculated on the basis of their positional changes. The spin axis directions were significantly correlated with the orientations of the hand just before ball release. The ball is released from the fingertip and rotates on a plane that is formed by the palm and fingers; the spin axis of the ball is parallel to this plane. The lift force of the pitched baseball is largest when the angular and translational velocity vectors are mutually perpendicular. Furthermore, to increase the lift forces for the fastballs, the palm must face home plate.     

Strategic alliances in sport tourism: National sport organisations and sport tour operators

This qualitative case study provides a sport-oriented perspective of sport tourism. It examines a strategic alliance between an Australian national sport organisation (NSO), the Australian Rugby Union (ARU), and a sport tour operator (STO), FanFirm. The study contributes insights into how NSOs can facilitate and develop sport tourism for major events through alliances with STOs. Findings indicate that by collaborating with the STO, the ARU accrued a range of intangible and financial benefits, which in turn provided an impetus for ongoing maintenance of the strategic alliance. In addition, the alliance was perceived to deliver advantages beyond the NSO–STO nexus, with rugby fans and host governments of rugby events also benefiting. The study demonstrates that sport organisations can play a role in maximising the tourism outcomes of major events and also suggests that smaller-scale, ‘bottom-up’ cross-sector alliances can contribute to maximising tourism outcomes of major sport events.     

长三角地区体育旅游资源开发的战略研究

分析了长三角地区体育旅游资源的优势,并提出了体育旅游资源的开发对策:通过深化长三角区域旅游竞合及产品结构调整,进一步拓展长三角地区体育旅游深度,注重经济效益、社会效益、生态效益的有机统一,从而实现长三角地区体育旅游的可持续发展。