Communal coping in high-level sports teams: A mixed-method investigation

Area of Science:

• Sports Psychology
• Social Psychology

Background:

• Communal coping, defined as collectively perceiving and addressing stressors as 'our problem,' is vital for team stress management.
• Understanding how athletes engage in communal coping is crucial for optimizing team performance under pressure.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the extent of shared appraisals of stressful match situations among elite athletes.
• To assess the perception of collectively enacted coping strategies within sports teams.
• To identify psychosocial and contextual factors influencing communal coping processes in athletes.

Main Methods:

• A mixed-method approach was employed, combining quantitative data analysis with qualitative thematic analysis.
• Quantitative data were collected from 49 elite athletes across four high-level sports teams.
• Qualitative data were gathered through focus groups to provide in-depth insights.

Main Results:

• Significant variability was observed in athletes' shared appraisals of stress intensity.
• Differential use of communal coping strategies was noted across teams and specific competitive situations.
• Communication, leadership, emotional expression, and environmental context (e.g., competition stakes) were identified as key influencing factors.

Conclusions:

• Communal coping is a complex social phenomenon in sports, influenced by various individual and contextual elements.
• Mixed-methods research is essential for a comprehensive understanding of communal coping in ecological settings.
• Future research should explore stress ownership and appraisal processes more deeply to enhance team coping strategies.