Perceived motivational team climate in relation to task and social cohesion among male college athletes

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to examine the relationship between perceptions of the motivational team climate and task and social cohesion among male college athletes. Basketball and soccer players (n = 179) completed two response measures, the Perceived Motivational Climate in Sport Questionnaire-II (Newton, Duda, & Yin) and the Group Environment Questionnaire (GEQ; Carron, Widmeyer, & Brawley) before practice in a team setting near the end of the competitive season. Hierarchical linear modeling analysis revealed that individual perceptions of a task-involving climate positively predicted, and perceptions of an ego-involving climate negatively predicted, individual-attraction-to-group task cohesion. Further analysis indicated that perceptions of a task-involving climate also significantly predicted individual-attraction-to-group social cohesion and group-integration task cohesion. Perceptions of an ego-involving climate failed to demonstrate any other predictive value in relation to team cohesion. Discussion underscores the beneficial nature of a task-involving motivational team climate in regard to the formation and development of task and social cohesion among competitive male college athletes.