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Relationship between group cohesion and anxiety in soccer
Carla Chicau Borrego1, Luis Cid, Carlos Silva
1Sport Sciences School of Rio Maior - Polytechnic Institute of Santarém. Research Center in Sports, Health Sciences and Human Development - CIDESD.
Journal of Human Kinetics
|March 15, 2013
Summary
Competitive anxiety negatively impacts group cohesion in football players, particularly cognitive anxiety. Female athletes reported higher anxiety and lower self-confidence than males, affecting team dynamics.
Area of Science:
- Sports Psychology
- Social Psychology
Background:
- Group cohesion is crucial in sports, influenced by individual and group factors.
- Competitive anxiety is a cognitive variable linked to cohesion in athletes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the relationship between task cohesion (ATG-T, GI-T) and competitive state anxiety (A-state).
- To investigate the link between cohesion and self-confidence in football players.
Main Methods:
- 366 football players (males and females, 15-23 years old) participated.
- Group cohesion assessed via the Portuguese Group Environment Questionnaire.
- Competitive anxiety measured using the Portuguese Competition State Anxiety Inventory 2.
Main Results:
- Female athletes reported higher cognitive anxiety and lower self-confidence than males.
- Cognitive anxiety negatively correlated with cohesion (GI-T, ATG-T) in all participants and males.
- Somatic anxiety negatively correlated with group integration cohesion in all participants and males.
Conclusions:
- Cognitive anxiety significantly undermines perceived cohesion in football teams, especially among male athletes.
- Gender differences exist in anxiety and self-confidence levels, impacting cohesion dynamics.
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