Group development research conducted within applied sport psychology shares many conceptual similarities with the field of organizational studies. This thesis investigates how the cross-integration of two group development models referenced from separate fields of study can converge to produce a comprehensive analytic model for evaluating group performance. Integrating Tuckman's (1965; Tuckman & Jensen, 1977) successive five stage group development model with Carron's (1982) general conceptual system for cohesiveness in sport teams, this thesis develops an original integrative cross-disciplinary schematic for group development. Guided by a systems approach, the analysis of this model reveals how cross-disciplinary research conducted within these two fields serves to identify mutual benefits, while highlighting the similarities and differences from both group development models. A key contribution of this study is the consideration of opportunities for enhancing current knowledge, and the harmonization of strategic and humanistic approaches to management. The conclusions drawn from this thesis raise significant questions about the potential yielded through the adoption of theoretical applications from applied sport psychology to an organizational context.

Group development research conducted within applied sport psychology shares many conceptual similarities with the field of organizational studies. This thesis investigates how the cross-integration of two group development models referenced from separate fields of study can converge to produce a comprehensive analytic model for evaluating group performance. Integrating Tuckman's (1965; Tuckman & Jensen, 1977) successive five stage group development model with Carron's (1982) general conceptual system for cohesiveness in sport teams, this thesis develops an original integrative cross-disciplinary schematic for group development. Guided by a systems approach, the analysis of this model reveals how cross-disciplinary research conducted within these two fields serves to identify mutual benefits, while highlighting the similarities and differences from both group development models. A key contribution of this study is the consideration of opportunities for enhancing current knowledge, and the harmonization of strategic and humanistic approaches to management. The conclusions drawn from this thesis raise significant questions about the potential yielded through the adoption of theoretical applications from applied sport psychology to an organizational context.

Aim: The aim of this study was to implement a psychological skills training program for dancers and evaluate the dancers’ use of psychological skills training techniques, and possible effects of the course. Specifically, the present study examined: 1) to what extent the dancers were using psychological skills training techniques; 2) whether a short course in psychological skills training for dancers made any difference to their use of psychological skills training techniques; 3) whether differences existed between groups of dancers regarding year at the dance academy, previous education in psychological skills training, and attendance; 4) the dancers’ response to psychological skills training during the course. Method: 51 dancers (45 female and six male aged 18-26 years) at a dance academy in Sweden participated in the study. The course in psychological skills training stretched over four months with four to six lessons. A shortened version of the Test of Performance Strategies was completed by the dancers at the first and last lesson. Descriptive statistics, one-way between-groups analysis of variance (ANOVA), and paired-samples t-tests were used to analyze the data. Memoing was practised to document the dancers’ direct response to the course. Results: The dancers used self-talk, emotional control, goal setting, imagery, activation, and attentional control “sometimes” in connection with their dance practice, whereas relaxation was used “rarely”. The total score for the dancers’ use of psychological skills training techniques only showed a marginal increase between pre- and post-intervention data. The only statistically significant difference found was an increase in the scores for relaxation. No statistically significant difference was found between groups regarding total score. The results from the memoing indicated that active participation during the lessons resulted in a more positive attitude towards psychological skills training, and that the dancers used different vocabulary regarding psychological skills training. The dancers also expressed difficulties implementing psychological skills training techniques on their own outside the classroom. Conclusions: The dancers in the present study had very similar scores on the questionnaire compared to athletes in previous research. For future research it would be of interest to see if a longer psychological skills training program for dancers, or a course with higher intensity, could further facilitate the dancers’ use of psychological skills training techniques, as well as integrate psychological skills training more in their dance practice. The results from this study could provide valuable information for further development of a psychological skills training program for dancers and might serve as a guide for areas that could benefit from extra attention in order to help dancers evolve both professionally and personally.

Group development research conducted within applied sport psychology shares many conceptual similarities with the field of organizational studies. This thesis investigates how the cross-integration of two group development models referenced from separate fields of study can converge to produce a comprehensive analytic model for evaluating group performance. Integrating Tuckman's (1965; Tuckman & Jensen, 1977) successive five stage group development model with Carron's (1982) general conceptual system for cohesiveness in sport teams, this thesis develops an original integrative cross-disciplinary schematic for group development. Guided by a systems approach, the analysis of this model reveals how cross-disciplinary research conducted within these two fields serves to identify mutual benefits, while highlighting the similarities and differences from both group development models. A key contribution of this study is the consideration of opportunities for enhancing current knowledge, and the harmonization of strategic and humanistic approaches to management. The conclusions drawn from this thesis raise significant questions about the potential yielded through the adoption of theoretical applications from applied sport psychology to an organizational context.

Abstract The main purpose of this comparative study between German and Pakistani Field Hockey players at the talent development stage (12-18 years) was to reveal multidimensional performance characteristics, which may have power for predicting future talented elite Field Hockey players. In total 271 (German 127 & 144 Pakistani) participants took part in this comparative study to find out difference in psychological, physical and social profiles and their possible influences on the performance of the players on two occasions, each separated by a time interval of one year. The mean age for German players was 14.3 years and Pakistani players 16.3 years. Data were collected from players of various institutions and clubs of both countries. Later on, researcher included Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka in the study to increase the number of participants considering that South Asian culture is similar and Field Hockey is a popular game in the region. This addition will give strength to the study to find out the real differences in the performance of South Asian and European countries. In total, (227) 41 Indian, 40 Bengali and 44 Sri Lankan, 52 Pakistani and 50 German athletes took part in the study. The mean age for Indian was 14.5 years, Sri Lankan 15.3 years, Bangladeshi 15.7 years, Pakistani 16.9 years and German athletes were 15.5 years old. The Deutsch and English language standard sport questionnaires were used to measure the variables and data were analysed with the help of SPSS - 17 version. The following variables were put to test to find out the possible difference between the young players: Goal orientation in sports, General sport ability & appearance, Perceived physical self-concept, Competition related anxiety, Coping strategies, Sport commitment, Parental support, Coaches behaviour, Motivational climate and Self-efficacy in sports. The study shows that there were significant differences in psychological, physical and social profiles in the players of both countries. German players reported higher scores in motivation, perceived physical self-concept, self-confidence and commitment to the sport and found better to overcome anxiety and situation related problems. They were more social, and had full support from families, peers and coaches who can increase motivational climate to improve performance level, but contrary to expectations, Pakistani players reported a higher incidence of coping strategies. Reasons for the results are discussed with regard to differences in competitive goals and differences in environmental factors between both groups.

The concepts of Athletic Identity (Brewer, Van Raalte, & Linder,1993) and identity (Erikson, 1950, 1968) both carry notions of having a clear sense of self definition. Applied practitioners in elite professional football settings (e.g. Holt & Dunn, 2004; Harwood, 2008; Nesti & Littlewood, 2010; Nesti, 2013) have championed the notion that individuals who possess a clear sense of self, (generally) cope with the demanding nature of first team football, and the daily challenges that arise from their chosen profession (i.e., injury, de-selection). Conversely, a small number of researchers have consistently argued that professional football club culture may not support the development of a clear sense of identity in (young) players, as it has been described as espousing notions of power, dominance, authority and insecurity (see e.g. Parker, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2001; Roderick, 2006, 2006a). The present thesis explores the role of identity, the impact of football club culture on its formation, and its importance in the career trajectory of youth team footballers. Across three distinct studies, this thesis explores the concepts of Athletic Identity, identity, and the creation of club culture within youth and professional football. Study one used a cross sectional approach, within and across levels of play along with distinct situational, demographic variables to assess any differentiating factors in Athletic Identity in 168 (N = 168) youth team footballers. Football club explained 30% of the variance in exclusivity among players (p = .022). Mean social identity was significantly higher for those players in the first year of their apprenticeship compared to the second year (p = .025). The range of variance for exclusivity amongst players suggested it was the cultural climate created at each individual football club that impacted this subscale of Athletic Identity. Study Two used a qualitative approach with the aim of critically exploring the perceptions of practitioners in relation to; ideal player characteristics, working practices, organisational culture and environmental conditions. These facets are influenced by practitioners within youth development programmes, all of which contribute to shaping a player’s identity (Erikson, 1968). A total of 19 youth development practitioners were interviewed during data collection. Practitioners provided an explicit and clear blueprint of the ideal player characteristics required for successful upward transition, including, self belief, dedication and self awareness, which are synonymous with notions of identity. Finally, Study three used a case study approach to critically examine how players’ experiences of a professional football environment and culture served to shape their identity and allows them to cope with critical moments. A Championship football club served as the case study in which 4 players were interviewed 3 times over the course of one season. Findings were represented as narrative stories of each player. Findings suggested that having a clear sense of identity provided players with a platform for resilience and perseverance throughout a range of critical moments. In summary, it is vital that appropriate internal (club) and external (affiliated organisations) strategies are developed and integrated into practice to ensure that players develop a clear sense of identity and meaning. It is essential that this transcends the professional football domain for players to have the best possible platform for career progression and career termination.

Orientador: Pedro José Winterstein / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Educação Física / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-16T18:11:42Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Castellani_RafaelMoreno_M.pdf: 2003253 bytes, checksum: c2ab81ed95b83915d90246e98ff65db2 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010 / Resumo: O futebol, apesar de ser uma das modalidades esportivas mais praticadas e consumidas mundialmente, possui poucas pesquisas que procuram compreendê-lo pela perspectiva das ciências humanas e sociais, sobretudo quando comparadas com os estudos no campo das ciências biológicas. Dessa forma, me propus estudar e buscar entender o futebol como fenômeno da nossa sociedade perspectivando retratar a relação entre o pesquisador e o clube com foco voltado à apreensão e análise dos processos grupais em uma equipe profissional. Este trabalho, seguindo as orientações de uma pesquisa qualitativa, partiu da análise de um grupo de futebol profissional, com um recorte temporal específico, da abordagem à equipe e aos atletas e da análise institucional do clube selecionado. Para o presente estudo, utilizou-se como referencial teórico a psicologia social, com ênfase nos estudos de Kurt Lewin e Pichon-Rivière. Tais autores nortearam a compreensão acerca dos processos grupais, sustentaram a opção metodológica e embasaram teoricamente as análises. A equipe selecionada foi o São Paulo FC, clube de expressão do futebol profissional no cenário nacional e mundial. Participaram da pesquisa atletas profissionais de futebol que estavam em atividade neste clube, membros da comissão técnica e dirigentes desta equipe. A pesquisa de campo deu-se ao longo de 45 dias, nos quais procurei estar com o grupo em situações de treino, jogo, refeições, concentração e preleções de modo a possibilitar uma melhor e mais aprofundada leitura da realidade da qual eles fazem parte. As dificuldades encontradas para analisar os processos grupais desta equipe foram muitas, dentre as quais vale destacar a impossibilidade de acesso às situações e aos locais nos momentos pretendidos por mim, as negativas de entrevistas e a rejeição da aplicabilidade do teste de livre escolha. O vínculo criado entre o pesquisador e o clube sofreu significativas oscilações ao longo da pesquisa de campo, o que prejudicou ainda mais as análises. Diante desses fatos, uma análise da relação obtida entre o pesquisador e o clube, além dos instrumentos da análise institucional, foi importante para discutir uma série de informações não explicitadas e compreender o porquê dessas limitações e dificuldades. Portanto, reconheço que, independente do clube analisado, por conta das características inerentes ao futebol contemporâneo, principalmente em relação aos interesses financeiros e políticos presentes neste contexto, as dificuldades para compreensão dos processos grupais de uma equipe profissional de futebol provavelmente estarão presentes, variando, no entanto, de acordo com as características da instituição e principalmente conforme o tipo de vínculo criado com ela / Abstract: Soccer, despite being one of the most practiced sports and consumed worldwide, there are few studies that seek to understand this sport with the perspective of the human and social sciences, particularly when compared with studies in the field of biological sciences. Thus, we propose to study and try to understand soccer as a phenomenon of our society looking ahead to portray the relationship between the researcher and the club with focus turned to apprehension and analysis of group processes in a professional team, especially in the areas of leadership and group cohesion. This work, following the guidelines of qualitative and analytical research, from a systematic evaluation of a group of professional soccer with a specific time frame, the approach the team and athletes and the institutional analysis of selected club. For the present study was raised regarding the theoretical social psychology, with emphasis on studies of Kurt Lewin and Pichon-Rivière. These authors have guided our understanding of group processes, supported our choice of methodological and theoretical frameworks our analysis. The selected team was the São Paulo FC, an important club known nationally and worldwide. Soccer players who were active in this club, members of the technical committee and leaders of this team participated in this research. The fieldwork took place over 45 days in which we wanted to be with the group in situations of practice, play, meals, lectures and concentration, enabling a better and deeper reading of the reality which they belong. The difficulties founded to analyze the group processes of this team were many, among which stand out the impossibility of access to local situations and at times desired by us, the negatives of interviews and rejection of the applicability of a free choice test. The bond created between the researcher and the club has undergone significant fluctuations during the fieldwork, which further damaged our analysis. Given these facts, the tools of institutional analysis were important to discuss a range of information that has remained hidden. So, we recognize that independently of the analyzed Club, the difficulties in understanding the group processes of a professional soccer team will probably be present, varying, however, according to the characteristics of the institution and the type of bond established with her / Mestrado / Educação Fisica e Sociedade / Mestre em Educação Física

M.A. / In this study the high school youth and ethnic integration in South African socio-political and rugby context is explored. It is hypothesized that sport psychology can make a valuable contribution to the process of integration and transformation in the South African sporting context. The historical context of sport in South Africa and the role of rugby as mediator in the process of racial integration on the high school rugby field is explored, as well as social concepts influenced by transformation and integration such as prejudice, discrimination, racism and territoriality. In South Africa change in the political context has brought about transformation on the sporting field and a resurgence in articulations of sporting identities amongst the youth. For this reason attention is given to different aspects of the high school youth experience, including culture, identity, prejudice and integration. Affiliation with a group offers the individual security, and this is where high school rugby can play a pivotal role in the future. In the context of high school rugby, in South Africa’s culturally diverse society, adolescents are often confronted with opposing viewpoints, especially as pertains to adult influence and peer interaction. Contact theory proposes that experiencing social success in pluralistic settings can break down cognitive barriers. Negative experience of contact however can result in a negative attitude to other races. It is hypothesized that integration in the context of high school rugby may have a significant effect on team cohesion, stress, coping mechanisms, sport devaluation and withdrawal, and collective efficacy and competitive performance. Cohesion can be considered to be one of the most important small group or team variables in rugby. Cohesion is positively and strongly associated with success in sports teams. Stress, particularly acute stress, has been recognized as a major stumbling block to satisfaction and to continued participation among youth sport participants. Sources of stress have unfortunately not in general been widely examined in the sport psychology literature, and among the rugby playing youth in particular. It is suggested that investigating stress caused by integration is imperative to help prevent the high withdrawal rate in youth sport. Participating in sport can place specific technical, physical and psychological demands and constraints on rugby players in terms of coping. In the high school rugby context, coping with stress caused by integration is explored. Factors such as selection based on merit and the quota system contributes to determining the attitude of high school rugby players towards ethnic integration. The need for rugby skills identification and development and concomitant issues such as sport devaluation and withdrawal are tentatively explored. Emphasis on skill and merit on the sporting field plays an important role in the avoidance of sport devaluation. Devaluation is reflected in players developing a negative attitude toward sport wherein they stop caring about the sport and their performance and as a result withdraw from sport. The development of qualitative methodologies such as phenomenology and hermeneutics has played a vital role in especially cultural studies in developing grounded analyses. This includes analysis of the complex ways in which people come to understand identity and culture as dynamic social processes, as well as connecting the acted experience of individual and collective people to wider structures of power. Qualitative analysis deals with explaining meaningful action, as well as with the concept of culture as the result of the process of interaction. In this research project, a qualitative approach to psychological research was followed. Use was made of non- empirical and subjective phenomenological research methodology. The purpose of this study was to examine high school rugby players’ perspectives in order to identify points of sameness and difference between players’ perspectives. The goal was to gain insight into the phenomenon of integration in rugby at a high school level. Interviewing players provide a rich source of information, which can potentially shed insights on key facets related to the issue. The Golden Lions Rugby Union (GLRU) expressed an interest in this study, and volunteered the use of their own research as well as high school rugby players as participants for the purpose of this study. Black, coloured and white GLRU players between the ages of 16 and 18 yrs participated in the study. Research took the form of an individual interview with the researcher. Written consent to record and transcribe the interviews were obtained from each participant. Participants were assured of confidentiality and anonymity. The interviews were taped, and the themes that emerged from this process as well as from the literature review was used as guide to determine, focus on and refine the final constructs. The participants in this study’s phenomenological experience of ethnic integration on high school rugby showed wide variations. The historical influence of South Africa’s past had a different effect on how the participants of the various races experience concepts such as prejudice, discrimination, racism and the influence of language on the high school rugby field. These areas all have an influence on how factors such as stress, coping mechanisms, group cohesion and the quota system is experienced, and this in turn affects on the one hand individual sport devaluation and withdrawal and on the other collective efficacy and the competitive performance of the team as a whole. The participants shared the vision that in the future rugby can play a positive role in the integration process of South Africa. In this respect rugby as a shared territory can provide an essential service in the process of integration and transformation in South Africa. This study may be exposed to several limitations that should be acknowledged for future research in this area. Examples, inherent in qualitative research, include the possible presence of interviewer bias, social desirability, and problems associated with self-report. Due to the paucity of exploration of the integration process in sport psychology literature, extensive use of the general (non-sport) psychology literature was needed to establish a conceptual framework. The researcher did not have the opportunity to present the participants with a final account to validate findings. A word of caution about this study concerns certain characteristics of the present sample. This study exhibited several strengths. Through the use of phenomenological methodology, the participants were given the opportunity to describe their experiences in their own words. The participants were also given an opportunity to voice their feelings about the process of integration on the high school rugby field. The study illustrated that in the South African context the fields of social- and sport psychology cannot be separated from each other. The adoption of a phenomenological stance allowed the researcher to become absorbed by the essence of the social and cultural construction of sport in general and the world of high school rugby specifically. The fact that the researcher is a woman added an empathic dimension to this study. In terms of recommendations for future research it is recognized that coaches and administrators have a wealth of experiential knowledge that can contribute to sport psychology knowledge. Quantitative research about the topic of ethnic integration on the high school rugby field needs to be undertaken. This type of research should ideally be done using longitudinal and cross-sectional methods in order to be able to report on the progress of the integration process in high school rugby. In addition, this type of research needs to be done on all levels of participation in South African rugby, from primary school- to national level. Future studies could also explore the possibility of developing therapeutic interventions to help the rugby playing youth of South Africa to deal with negative experiences of ethnic integration, to develop strategies to cope with stressful situations, and to increase high school rugby teams’ collective efficacy and competitive performance. It seems that sport in general and rugby in particular can be instrumental in the forging of a positive, integrated high school youth sport culture. Hopefully, this study will contribute to the further understanding of the phenomenological experience of high school youths of ethnic integration on the rugby field, and also have heuristic effect.

Connections between athletes and musicians have been drawn recently by scholars, sports psychologists, and musicians. Literature on these connections, however, has focused on individuals rather than exploring connections between teams and ensembles. The broad goal of our study was to determine whether leadership roles like those observed in sports research emerge in chamber music ensembles. We chose to focus on connecting the literatures of leadership in sports and music by using a questionnaire drawn from sports research (Fransen, et al., 2014) in a chamber music setting. Fransen’s model was designed to measure the emergence of four leadership roles (Task, Social, Motivational, and External) in teams. In our study, fifty local musicians responded to an online questionnaire derived from Fransen (2014). We found that all four of Fransen’s leadership roles were identified by respondents as present in chamber ensembles. Respondents were also asked to describe leadership roles in their ensemble that did not fit Fransen’s four leadership roles, where such existed. From their responses, we postulate the roles of “organizational leader” and “leader by example” in chamber ensembles. We interpreted the organizational leader to be an extension of Fransen’s “external leadership” role. We interpret he leader by example role to be a set of attributes as predictors of shared leadership in individuals, rather than as a separate leadership role. In light of our findings, we offer suggestions for improving the functioning of chamber ensembles and for future research in this topic.

Orientador: Edison Duarte / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Educação Física / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-26T14:06:07Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Molchansky_Sheila_M.pdf: 1423952 bytes, checksum: bbfb01b4adc42eb30dcbf44955e821b0 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014 / Resumo: Compreender como componentes psicológicos podem gerar diferenças no rendimento, principalmente diante de esportes de alto rendimento, tem sido fundamental para que novas propostas e protocolos de atuação tática e técnica sejam adequadas aos treinos e periodizações esportivas. Ainda que seja notável o aumento de Psicólogos trabalhando no cenário esportivo, não se tem, na mesma constante, a construção de instrumentos padronizados que visam avaliar como componentes psicológicos influenciam e são influenciados pelo rendimento esportivo de atletas. Para tal, o objetivo deste estudo foi traduzir e adaptar transculturalmente para a língua portuguesa do Brasil o Sports Mental Toughness Questionnaire (SMTQ). Como metodologia, utilizamos os passos propostos pelo Guideline de Beaton, Bombardier e Guillemin compostos por tradução, retrotradução, síntese de traduções e análise pelo comitê de peritos. Ao final deste processo chegamos à versão final do instrumento intitulado Questionário de Vigor Mental no Esporte. Por fim, realizamos um pré-teste e análise final do instrumento e concluímos que o mesmo poderá ser utilizado no meio esportivo, demostrando ser adequado à realidade brasileira / Abstract: Understanding how psychological components can make performance differences , mainly on high- performance sports , has been important for new proposals, tactical and technical protocols been appropriate for sports training and periodization . Although it is remarkable the increase of psychologists working at the sports areas, does not have, at the same constant, the construction of standardized instruments designed to assess how psychological components influence and are influenced by the sports performance athletes . To this end, the aim of this study was to translate and culturally adapt to Brazil¿s Portuguese, the Sports Mental Toughness Questionnaire (SMTQ). As methodology, we used the steps proposed by the Guideline of Beaton , Bombardier and Guillemin composed of translation , back translation, translations of synthesis and analysis by the expert committee. At the end of this process we come to the final version of the instrument called Questionário de Vigor Mental no Esporte. At least, we conducted a pretest and final analysis and concluded that it may be used in sports, demonstrating be adjusted to the Brazilian reality. / Mestrado / Atividade Fisica, Adaptação e Saude / Mestra em Educação Física