Team Dynamics Coursework Materials

November 9, 2023, Sports Psychology In-class notes Team Dynamics - - - Team o Any group of people who must interact with each other to accomplish shared objectives or goals. o A dynamic entity constantly evolving or changing. Team structure o Roles  The set of behaviors required the expectation of someone occupying a certain position on a team. o Formal role  It is scripted for you. o Informal role  It isn’t stated it just happens. o Role ambiguity  Players are not actually sure what they are supposed to be doing. o Role clarity  I know very clearly what I am supposed to be doing.  What is the scope of your responsibility.  Your behavioral responsibilities- what action should I be engaged in  The evaluation of performance- how will I be assessed or evaluated.  What will happen if I do not fulfill my role, what are the consequences. o Norms  A level of performance, a pattern of behavior, or a belief- a way of seeing things o Formal Norms  This is how we do things as a team.  Be on the bus at 10, but the coach says be there 5 minutes before- that is the norm. o Informal norms  They develop.  Sometimes a team has a player who changes how people look at things- you do not have to be at practice till 9, but a star player gets there at 8:30, everyone starts getting there at 8:30, a norm starts. All of this affects the way players interact with each other, which affects performance (the statements listed above) Cohesion o The total feeling of forces (social pressures), which act on members to remain on a team. o Task cohesion The degree to which group members work together to achieve common goals and objectives. o Social cohesion  The interpersonal attraction (drawn to each other) among teams.  You like being together on the team. o They often go together but sometime social cohesion decreases performance. Theories of team development o Linear perspective  Teams develop in a linear or sequential matter.  Forming and storming and then comes norming and performing.  Forming- beginning of a season  Storming- there is competition within the team.  Norming- settle into norms.  Performing- you go out and compete. o Cyclical perspective  There is birth when the team comes together, there is growth, and there is death when you achieve your goal your team is taken apart. o Pendular perspective  Pendulum  The teams do not develop in a linear fashion, they are constantly swinging back and forth.  Stage 1- orientation  Stage 2- differentiation and conflict o The excitement of starting the year wares off and now competing for positions.  Stage 3- resolution and cohesion o We are a team now, competing against other teams.  Stage 4- back to stage 2  Stage 5- termination (end of season) Creating an effective team climate o Social support  People providing and demonstrating support for one another.  Sometimes support shows up in the form of a challenge- I have been watching you and I know you can perform better. o The Ringelmann effects.  The phenomenon by which individual performance decreases as the number of people on a team increases. o Social Loafing  The phenomenon in which an individual on a team puts forth less than full effort because of decreases in motivation.  Writing a group paper- one person who does none of the work  On teams- a sense that someone else will get the outcome or win that we need Component Structure of Games  - - - o o o o o o o o Interactive sports- basketball, soccer, et., the whole team is cohesive and it is essential. Co-active sport- baseball, softball- most of the time you are performing individually No interaction- a wrestling team Competitive means- competitive ends- the entire time you are competing and then someone wins- the 100 meter dash Cooperative means-competitive ends- cooperating with teammates and as a team evaluated if you won or not- basketball Individual means- individual ends- setting individual goal- no competition or cooperation- training to break a certain time in running a mile Cooperative means-individual ends- optimize your performance by doing it with someone- training with someone Cooperative means- cooperative ends- athletes have to work together and then they will collectively get a reward