The Relationship Between Leadership Behaviors and Group Cohesion in Team Sports

David Lyle Light Shields, Douglas E. Gardner, Brenda Jo Light Bredemeier, Alan Bostro

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

The relationship between leadership behaviors and team cohesion among baseball and softball players at two school levels was analyzed in relation to predictions based on Chelladurai and Carron's (1978) Multidimensional Model of Leadership (MML). Athletes ( n  = 307) completed the perceived and preferred versions of the Leadership Scale for Sports (LSS) and the Group Environment Questionnaire (GEQ). Athletes' coaches ( n  = 23) completed the self-perceived version of the LSS. Task and social cohesion were assessed in relation to the scales of the three individual versions of the LSS and in relation to two types of discrepancy scores:  value  and  perceptual.  Although the concept of discrepancy is prominent in MML theory, the perceptual discrepancy score represents an innovation. Results indicated that, in general, team cohesion was most strongly related to the perceived LSS version and the perceptual discrepancy scores.
Original languageAmerican English
JournalThe Journal of Psychology
Volume131
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 3 1997

Disciplines

  • Psychology
  • Social and Behavioral Sciences
  • Sports Studies

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