Group Dynamics and Sporting Performance

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2WBCTzOfjA

What is a group?

People behave differently individually than when they are in a group.

What is a group?

What makes a successful team?

2000 Men's Coxless Four

2003 England Rugby World Cup

2008 England Football Team

2008 Men's Coxless Four

2012 Cycling Team

What is a Group?

The key to a group is that the members must be interacting in some way.

“Groups are those social aggregates that involve mutual awareness and potential

interaction” (J.E.MacGrath, 1984)

“A groups is… two or more people who are interacting with one another in such a

manner that each person influences and is influenced by each other person.”

(M.E. Shaw, 1976)

The sum is greater than the parts

FA cup finalsRyder cupCan you think of an example from your

sport?

Bootcamp

It takes people from all backgrounds, and from different parts of the country who may have nothing in common.

They are given the same appearance, which identifies them as the same.

The instructor gives them a shared negative experience that will give them something in common.

In one quick experience they become a group.

Distinguish a group from a collection of individuals

Collective identity Shared norms/values Shared sense of purpose/common goals Interaction between members/efforts of one

affect the other Hierarchy of communication Task cohesion- working together Social cohesion Independence from others http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2WBCTzOfjA

Groups- Teams

Groups of individuals are not necessarily a team.

Teams need in depth interaction in order to share common goals.

A coach will take a long time to build a good team and maximise performance.

Very strong group

The Research

Tuckman (1965) suggested that all groups go through the same progressive stages of development to create a team.

Stage1- Forming

Stage 2-Storming

Stage 3-Norming

Stage 4- Performing

Stage 1- Forming

FamiliarisationAssess strengths and weaknessesFind roles within the groupDo they belong?Can they accept and identify with

perceived and expected roles and relationships?

Stage 1- Forming

Get to know each otherFind out about the task of objectiveShow respect for each other (but not

working together)Coach tells them what to do

Stage 2- Storming

Individuals or cliques within start to question structure

Leader challengedOpen hostility – Compete for powerCoach needs to reduce effects, usually

by open, objective communication

Stage 2- Storming

Team members compete with each other May be power struggles Different types of leader emerge Less experienced members will not

compromise Team may fail Coach must help them through this stage(Even elite teams can go back to this stage)

Stage 3- Norming

Instability disappearsDisplays of cohesionNeeds for common goal recognisedRespect for each others

contributionsSatisfaction from achievement

Stage 3- Norming

Team members agree how to work together, rules develop

Development of trust, ability to accept criticism

Leaders emergeCoach becomes more of a

consultant

Stage 4 - Performing

Members identify with the teamAware of each others rolesFeel they all contribute to successPsychological securityEnergies channelled to achieve

group success

Stage 4 - Performing

Team works as a unit, high levels of motivation and interdependence

Experienced members of the team make decisions independently

Consultation is expected and leadership devolved, but authority and directed are accepted in times of stress.

Evaluation of performance

Mourning

Occurs after a team breaks up because the task has been completed

2003 World Cup team

Activity

Imagine you are a coach of a newly formed team.

What strategies might you employ to try to reduce the effects encountered in the storming stage?

Structures & Roles in a Group

In the forming stage the structure of the group will begin to develop

Begin to adopt roles both informally and formally

A role is ‘the specific behaviour expected of a person occupying a certain position in the groups structure’

Types of Roles

Formal Roles

Teacher, coach, captainFormal task/performance roles

Goalkeeper, Penalty taker, Goal kickerInformal roles

Team diplomat, joker, team hard man

Roles within a team…

Only have meaning within the groupCan be expected, perceived and acted

outAre assessed and evaluated against

expected behaviourLevel of status attachedLead to role conflict (Too many hats)

Roles within a team…

Players need to be aware of their role and accept it

Members adopt certain patterns of behaviour/beliefs- group norms

E.g. Way of celebrating, dress, style of play

The Coaches Role

Coaches have different ways to enforce the beliefs and ensure members conform to the norm

Formal- fines, suspensionsInformal- made fun of

Clear expectations needed

Activity

How would you distinguish a group from a collection of individuals? (4)

Name and explain the stages that lead to group formation (4)

Team Success

Success of a team (Actual Productivity)

is equal to the best it can do (Potential Productivity)

minus Faulty Processes (When things go pear shaped!)

Steiner’s ModelACTUAL= POTENTIAL - LOSSES DUE TO

PRODUCTIVITY PRODUCTIVITY FAULTY PROCESSES

(AP) (PP) (FP)

The team performance at any given time (due to successful

interaction)

The maximum

capability of the group

when cohesiveness is strongest

Factors that go wrong in team performance

which impede/ prevent group

cohesion e.g. co-ordination losses & motivational losses

GROUP COHESION IS THE FORCE THAT BINDS A GROUP TOGETHER, HELPING TO PREVENT FAULTY PROCESSES.

Faulty ProcessesCo-ordination Losseso These occur when the ‘operational effectiveness’ of the group cannot be sustained for the whole match.

o Planned strategies/tactics may go wrong due to positional error or bad timing, e.g. Line out in rugby.A co-ordination loss that leads to a

breakdown in team work is called

the RINGLEMANN EFFECT. Problems with team co-ordination are more likely to increase as the

number of team members increase.

Motivation Losseso This may occur if the task is too difficult.

o Also an individual might suffer loss of motivation causing them to withdraw effort and coast through that part of the game.

A motivation loss that leads to a reduction in effort is called SOCIAL LOAFING. This is called when an individuals efforts go unnoticed or when someone feels like the others on their team are not trying hard enough. People with low SC tend to be loafers.

The Ringlemann Effect & social Loafing

Group performance decreases with group size. Ringlemann studied rope pulling & found that a

group of 8 did not pull their rope 8 times as hard as 1 person.

There is less effort exerted when working with others.

Some individuals performed only at 50% effort when in a group.

Social loafing

Social loafing is the tendency of individuals to drop their effort & hide within the group.

It is an individual motivation loss due to lack of performance identification.

Social loafing

Social loafing is caused by:A belief that you effort won’t change the

resultA perception that others are not trying, so

why should you?A belief that others will cover for your lack of

effort Individual effort not being recognised

Causes of social loafing cont…

Lack of reinforcement from othersLow confidencePerceived low abilityLow arousal/motivationPoor leadershipNegative attitudes

Preventing Social loafing (Reducing motivational losses)

To stop the players feeling a lack of motivation towards the team, the coach should try: Highlighting individual performances Monitoring individuals with feedback Using positive reinforcement when possible Rewards Promoting task cohesion within the team Setting individual goals Effective captain