Research article - (2023)22, 637 - 644
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.52082/jssm.2023.637
Team Cohesion Profiles: Influence on the Development of Mental Skills and Stress Management
Amaia Ramírez Muñoz1, Marta Vega-Díaz2,, Higinio González-García1
1Faculty of Education at Universidad Internacional de La Rioja (UNIR). TECNODEF Research Group, La Rioja, Spain
2Faculty of Education at the University of Alfonxo X el Sabio, Madrid, Spain

Marta Vega-Díaz
✉ Matías López, Nº26-30. CP:27600. Galicia, Spain
Email: mdiazveg@uax.es
Received: 19-09-2022 -- Accepted: 23-09-2023
Published (online): 01-12-2023

ABSTRACT

High-level sports competitions involve facing highly challenging situations. Athletes must maintain strong team cohesion with peers, have specific mental abilities, and high-stress control to overcome adversity and report high sports performance. This research aimed to identify team cohesion profiles and examine whether participants differed significantly in their mental abilities and stress management. The sample consisted of 146 promising and talented athletes from the Sports Talent Development of the Provincial Council of Guipúzcoa (Spain) (Mage = 20.08; SD = 4.68), who completed the questionnaire on Psychological Characteristics Related to Sports Performance (CPRD). Cluster analyzes revealed three profiles; (a) profile with low team cohesion; (b) profile with average team cohesion; (c) profile with high team cohesion. Results showed significant differences in mental abilities (i.e., positive self-talk), and marginally significant differences in self-confidence, between the profiles. The best scores were reported in profile (b). In conclusion, the combination of low individualism, high social cohesion, and medium team spirit seems to be the most recommendable for promoting mental abilities and self-confidence in athletes' samples. As practical implications, the programs that train the mental abilities of athletes and control management should consider the importance of team cohesion to obtain improvements in the results of the competitions.

Key words: Mental ability, group analysis, sport, team

Key Points
  • High-level sports competitions involve facing challenging situations in which it is essential for athletes to feel cohesion with other team members to maintain high performance.
  • Identifying functional and dysfunctional profiles of team cohesion can help athletes find an explanation for their mental abilities during competitions.
  • Programs that train athletes must strive to ensure that athletes maintain a good group spirit, are not individualistic, and maintain strong bonds with their teammates since their ability to control stress in the face of adversity depends on it.








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