La relazione tra coesione e prestazione in squadre femminili di pallavolo: un'indagine empirica

Background The study examines the relationship between cohesion and performance in female volleyball teams. The distinction between attraction to group and group integration, and between social commitment and commitment to task are based on Carron, Widmeyer, Brawley (1985) conceptual model of cohesion. Methods Cohesion components have been analysed by the Group Environment Questionnaire (GEQ) in a longitudinal two wave study that assumed as criterion variable teams' position at the end of a summer tournament. Collective efficacy, interpersonal distance, athletes' age and years in the team have been also considered as potential confounding variables. Results Results show a positive relationship between performance at the tournament and cohesion measured after the beginning and immediately at the end of the tournament. Particularly, it has been observed a preferential relationship between attraction to group - task (ATG-T) and subsequent performance. Performance at the tournament in turn is prone to reflect on social and task aspects of group, perceived as a whole. Interpersonal distance and collective efficacy, measured both at individual and team level, seems not to correlate with cohesion measurement. Nevertheless, teams collective efficacy appears to be the best predictor of agonistic outcomes. Conclusions. Future research need to have multiple indicators of cohesion, measured at individual and group level, locally revised and standardized, to take into account the ultidimensionality of the construct together to some validate measures of similar constructs, which form a nomological network