The Theory of Multiple Intelligences for Athletes and Cohesion in Sports Teams

Abstract

In traditional approaches to build team cohesion, it is focused on the short-term methods including providing Motivational incentives and applying conflict management techniques where such approaches in the cases the teams provided with high diversity and distinction did not show essential efficiency in nature. This study aims to study the role of emotional and cultural intelligence of athletes in cohesion in sports teams as a new approach in this scope. Research data has been collected of 137 athletes from Major national teams as well as athletics league teams across Tehran where two teammates' views asked in addition to an athlete's view in order to assess the cultural and emotional intelligence. The findings of research showed that a positive significant relationship exists between emotional intelligence and cohesion in sports teams(r = 0.283, p < 0.01). Further, the cultural intelligence of team members found with a high correlation with cohesion in sports teams(r = 0.355, p < 0.01). The results from regression analysis of the sub-indices associated to cultural and emotional intelligence indicated that three components of Behavioral cultural intelligence, The use of Emotions and cultural and cognitive intelligence had the highest correlation level with cohesion in sports teams where found as the only components of emotional and cultural intelligence with a casual relationship with dependant research variable. A survey on demographic variables indicates that the more membership experience of the team members, cohesion and education status of team members increase, the team cohesion decreases. Nevertheless, a correlation did not observe between gender and age of sports teams members and team cohesion. To sum up, the results of this study expand the operating approaches, scope of theoretical and applied studies on the personal factors affecting sports teams’ cohesion.