The mediating role of identity processes in the relationship between cohesion and performance in team sports

Cohesion has been conceptualized as a set of social cognitions related to the individual perception of the team (Carron et al. 1998). The socio-psychological literature widely shows that cohesion has a significant impact both on the team level and on the individual performance (e.g. Carron, Colman, Wheeler, 2002). The process by which cohesion promotes performance has been instead less analyzed. This study proposes and tests a model in which two variables were hypothesized to mediate the relationship between cohesion and performance: identity motives satisfaction and identification with the team. In particular the authors state that cohesion is influential on individual performance. Other studies already tested the fundamental role of identity process in explaining the link between social cognitions and individual behaviour (e.g. Marta, Manzi, Pozzi, Vignoles, 2014), however not in the sport environment. A self-reporting questionnaire was developed, containing the following scales: Group Environment Questionnaire (Carron, 1985), the Identity Motives satisfaction Questionnaire (adapted from Vignoles et al., 2006), the Social Identity Scale (Marta et al., 2014) and a Individual Performance Scale created ad hoc. The questionnaire was submitted to 75 teams, including 817 athletes in total (90% women, average age 20.2, SD = 5.2). A multilevel regression, considering the subjects grouped by teams, was used for data analysis. The analysis of data shows that, in line with previous findings, the dimension of cohesion most relevant for the performance is the Group Integration Task. Individual Attraction to Social Group turns out to have a link with performance mediated by identity processes. These results, in line with the hypotheses, open some interesting scenarios in terms of future research and psychological intervention routes with sports teams: a set of actions keeping into accounts the high incidence of identity-related motivations on the performance processes could be implemented.