Flow in a Team Sport: Does Cohesion Matter?

ISBN-13: 9783639137545 / Angielski / Miękka / 2009 / 108 str.

Angus Mugford

Opis

The purpose of this study was to explore therelationship between cohesion and flow statein competitive Division I College rowers. Overall,both social and task cohesion were significantly andpositively associated with flow state, and that taskcohesion produced significantly stronger positiverelationships. Rowers were, in effect, morelikely to achieve a flow state through positive taskcohesion than by having positive socialcharacteristics. Further analysis examined theinfluence of performance outcome and competitionlevel on these relationships. Winning crews possessedmore and stronger relationships between flow andcohesion than losing crews. In fact, losing crewsappeared to fail to achieve a flow state. The resultswere supported by interview data that corroboratedcrew members familiarity with a collective team flowexperience. This led to the discussion of a proposedmodel of team harmony bridging existing models offlow state and cohesion. There is a great deal thatis not fully understood about the concept of flow ingroups, but suggestions are made for further researchinto this fascinating phenomenon.

O autorze

Angus Mugford completed his PhD at the University of Kansas in
2004, producing this piece of work as his doctoral dissertation.
He has since moved on in the world of applied sport psychology,
and is currently the Head of the Mental Conditioning Division at
the IMG Academies in Bradenton, Florida.