The purposes of this study was to examine what effects a specific team intervention program had on the ice-hockey players’ perceptions of their roles and the teams’ task cohesion. Further the purpose was to examine the benefits from having clear roles and strategies to develop role clarity. It was an intervention study with experimental design and a mixed method approach. Participants were two Swedish male junior ice hockey teams including one experimental team (n=14) and one control team (n=16). The intervention took place during competitive season and was based on communication training, mutual sharing and role development. The results showed that the role clarity decreased in both teams during the time of the intervention. The players in the intervention team felt significant more appreciated than the players in the control team. Overall did the intervention team have more positive trends than the control team. Perceived benefits from role clarity were good cooperation, communication, self-confidence and determination. Suggested strategies to develop role clarity were to communicate with team mates and coach, practice and adjust to the team. Positive effects from the intervention were improved communication, positive attitude, self-confidence, calmness, cohesion and openness. / Syftet med studien var att undersöka vilka effekter ett specifikt laginterventionsprogram hade på spelarnas upplevelse av sina roller och lagets uppgiftsinriktade lagsammanhållning. Vidare var syftet att  undersöka de fördelar som kommer med att ha en klar roll och vilka strategier som används för att skapa rollklarhet. Studien var en interventionsstudie med experimentell design med ett mixat tillvägagångssätt. Deltagare I studien var två juniorishockeylag; ett experimentlag (n=14) och ett kontrollag (n=16). Interventionen pågick under tävlingssäsong och baserades på communikationsträning, ömsesidigt utbyte och rollteori. Resultatet visade att rollklarheten minskade under interventionstiden. Spelarna i interventionslaget upplevde sig sifnifikant mer uppskattade än spelarna i kontrollaget. Överlag hade interventionslaget mer positiva trender i fler variabler än kontrollaget. Upplevda fördelar med klara roller var bra samarbete, kommunikation, självförtroende och beslutsamhet. Föreslagna strategier för utvecklande av rollklarhet var att kommunisera med lagkamrater och tränare, träna och anpassa sig till laget. Positiva effekter av interventionen var förbättrad kommunikation, positiv attityd, självförtroende, lugn, lagsammanhållning och öppenhet.

-i- Abstract The aim of this study was to conduct a cross-cultural validation of the Group Environment Questionnaire (GEQ) (Carron, Widmeyer, & Brawley, 1985), internationally recognized as useful and contemporary measurement approach to cohesion. The GEQ was originally validated for a sample of North American athletes. In total, the sample consisted of 1 410 adult athletes and trainers (1 019 male and 391 female). A modified direct translation method with protocol analysis was utilised to translate the GEQ from English into Czech. Content validity was analysed and confirmed by content validity ratio method for individual indicators of the questionnaire. The factor structure of the Czech version of the questionnaire, verified by structural equation modelling, did not differ from the original version. The predictive validity of the questionnaire was confirmed by its ability to differentiate between groups of athletes (with diverse levels of perceived successfulness) on the basis of their team cohesion scores. Reliability, measured by the Cronbach's coefficient α, was 0,59-0,69 (for version with positively/negatively worded items) and 0,63-0,79 (for version with positively worded items). The results are discussed in the context of possible cultural differences. For population of the Czech athletes from team...

-i- Abstract The aim of this study was to conduct a cross-cultural validation of the Group Environment Questionnaire (GEQ) (Carron, Widmeyer, & Brawley, 1985), internationally recognized as useful and contemporary measurement approach to cohesion. The GEQ was originally validated for a sample of North American athletes. In total, the sample consisted of 1 410 adult athletes and trainers (1 019 male and 391 female). A modified direct translation method with protocol analysis was utilised to translate the GEQ from English into Czech. Content validity was analysed and confirmed by content validity ratio method for individual indicators of the questionnaire. The factor structure of the Czech version of the questionnaire, verified by structural equation modelling, did not differ from the original version. The predictive validity of the questionnaire was confirmed by its ability to differentiate between groups of athletes (with diverse levels of perceived successfulness) on the basis of their team cohesion scores. Reliability, measured by the Cronbach's coefficient α, was 0,59-0,69 (for version with positively/negatively worded items) and 0,63-0,79 (for version with positively worded items). The results are discussed in the context of possible cultural differences. For population of the Czech athletes from team...

Previous research highlights social cohesion and task cohesion, the individual attraction to the group and group interaction is widely debated. Much of the previous research is quantitative and conducted in mens sport. The purpose of the study is to gather information about young female team athletes and their attitude towards cohesion. The purpose is to explore the experiences of cohesion and also search which factors that the individuals experience as crucial to social cohesion and task cohesion in female team sports. The underlying theoretical framework of this study is based on a conceptual model developed by Carron et al. (1985). The study was based on eight interviews done on participants between 18 and 30 years. The interviews were conducted using a self-designed instrument that was created with inspiration from the validated Group Environment Questionnaire. The collected material was analyzed with a content analysis. The result reveals that female team athletes perceived cohesion as an important factor. A lot of attention was aimed at social cohesion and the participants need of inherency. But the participants emphasize that without task cohesion will group goals and purpose be absent. / Tidigare forskning belyser social sammanhållning och uppgiftsorienterad sammanhållning, där individens attraktion till gruppen och gruppinteraktion är omdebatterat. Mycket av den tidigare forskningen är kvantitativ och utförd inom herridrotten. Syftet med studien är att samla information kring unga damlags-idrottares upplevelser till sammanhållning samt undersöka faktorer som individen upplever avgörande för social sammanhållning och uppgiftsorienterad sammanhållning i lagidrott. Det teoretiska ramverk som ligger till grund för arbetet är en begreppsmodell utvecklad av Carron et al. (1985). Under studien genomfördes åtta intervjuer där deltagarna var mellan 18 och 30 år. Intervjuerna utfördes med hjälp av ett egendesignat frågeformulär som skapades med inspiration från mätinstrument Group Environment Questionnaire. Det insamlade materialet analyserades utifrån en innehållsanalys. I resultatet framkommer det att damlags-idrottare upplever sammanhållning som en viktig faktor. Mycket uppmärksamhet riktades mot social sammanhållning och deltagarnas behov av tillhörighet. Deltagarna poängterar dock att utan uppgiftsorienterad sammanhållning saknar gruppen mål och syfte.