On the Phenomenon of Group Cohesion in Sports: An Analysis of Methodological Approaches

Abstract

The article deals with the phenomenon of sports team cohesion. Classical and modern studies of cohesion are analyzed, the regularities of formation of a cohesive team and the risks of its functioning are described. The article provides readers with an opportunity to look at cohesion as a dynamic characteristic and compare the methods of its measurement and support. The central idea of the article is the complex nature of the phenomenon of cohesion, which combines everyday knowledge, time dynamics, efficiency of joint activities, motivational and value unity, compatibility of group members and emotional attachment. The data presented in the article can be used for the analysis of sports teams and other similar groups, in the preparation of empirical studies, as well as for the development of psychological interventions. Structurally and substantively the article is analytical: the first part of the article is devoted to the problems of everyday understanding of cohesion in social groups related to sports; the second part deals with methods for determining, assessing and verifying cohesion in specific teams; the third part connects the concepts of cohesion and activity, revealing the essence of the main theoretical approaches to the study of this phenomenon; the fourth, final part, describes the main parameters of intra-group compatibility. The proposed work has a methodological orientation, as the described approaches, theories and methods can be integrated into specific sociological, psychological and other studies, as well as become the basis of applied means of forming a cohesive group.