The Nature of Conflict in Sport: Development and Validation of the Group Conflict Questionnaire

The purpose of the present dissertation was to develop a questionnaire to assess intra-group conflict in sport teams. To this end, the current dissertation consisted of three phases which followed a logical progression that is typical in the questionnaire development process. A total of (N = 752) participants took part in the three phases (Phase 1: N = 10; Phase 2: N = 437; Phase 3: N = 305). Phase 1 was a qualitative investigation of athletes’ (N = 10) perceptions of the nature of conflict in sport. This phase was undertaken to gain a better understanding of the conflict phenomenon in sport groups. Results from Phase 1 indicated that participants experienced conflict in task and social situations, and that conflict manifested itself through cognitive (disagreements), behavioral (interference) and affective (negative emotions) components. Phase 2 consisted of two projects. The objective of the first project was to utilise the results from Phase 1 to generate potential questionnaire items. These items were then assessed for content validity by a panel of experts (N = 6). A total of 50 items were generated and sent out to the experts. Based on their feedback, a total of 25 items were retained for further testing. The objective of the second project of Phase 2 was to begin initial reliability (internal consistency) and validity (factorial) testing with the set of content valid items with a sample of athletes (N = 437). Results from this initial psychometric testing yielded a structurally reliable and valid (CFI = .946, RMSEA = .086, SRMR = .042) 14-item, two dimensional (task conflict, 7-items, and social conflict, 7-items) version of the Group Conflict Questionnaire. Phase 3 was undertaken to further test the reliability (internal consistency) and validity (factorial, convergent, discriminant, known-group difference) for the Group Conflict Questionnaire with another sample of athletes (N = 305). Results provided evidence for reliability and validity for the four types assessed (CFI = .903, RMSEA = .109, SRMR = .060). The newly developed and validated 14-item, two dimensional, Group Conflict Questionnaire can be utilised for continued use to advance the knowledge of conflict in sport

Investigating perceptions of cohesion, performance, and satisfaction in sport officiating groups

Since sport officials constitute instrumental groups, their perceptions of, and interactions with, group members likely influence their performance, satisfaction, and retention. This warrants investigation into sport officiating groups. Rationale/Purpose: (1) Examine the relationship between sport officials’ cohesion, satisfaction, and performance; (2) Investigate sport officials’ perceptions of cohesion across sports; and (3) Explore sport officials’ perceptions of group processes. Design/Methodology/Approach: Using a cross-sectional design, participants (N = 228) completed a survey measuring perceptions of cohesion, performance, and satisfaction. Findings: Responses demonstrated consistent positive relationships between cohesion, performance, and satisfaction. Path analysis found that task cohesion predicted performance and satisfaction. Participants rated task cohesion higher than social cohesion, with American football highest and Association football lowest. Practical implications: Officiating organizations can use these results to reconsider assigning practices and develop strategies that improve cohesion, leading to increased performance and retention. Research contribution: Results highlight the need for sustained research to further understand how group processes influence sport officials and their performances. This study is novel as there is a dearth of research on how group dynamics influence sport officials’ performances and retention.</p

Exploring Perceptions of Group Processes in Ice Hockey Officiating

This is an Original Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Journal of Applied Sport Psychology on 10 July 2017, available online: http://www.tandfonline.com/10.1080/10413200.2017.1349208.Understanding factors that influence sport officials’ performance is vital to ensuring fair sport competition. Through semi-structured interviews (N = 17), we explored officials’ perceptions of group processes that occurred among ice hockey officiating teams. Participant responses revealed numerous ways that group processes were present within officials’ interactions, and two unique characteristics involved the transient nature of officiating groups (frequently performing with different officials) and intra-team competition pertaining to post-season assignments. In the discussion, we expand on the unique nature of officiating groups, synthesize activities in which officials seek to enhance groupness, and provide insights for future interventions and researchers

The relationship between passion, basic psychological needs satisfaction and athlete burnout: examining direct and indirect effects

This is an accepted manuscript of an article published by Human Kinetics in Journal of Clinical Sport Psychology on 03/03/2018, available online: https://doi.org/10.1123/jcsp.2017-0030 The accepted version of the publication may differ from the final published version.Athlete burnout symptoms are detrimental to athlete well-being. Obsessive passion has been identified as an antecedent of athlete burnout, with basic psychological need satisfaction potentially mediating this process. The aim of the current research was to extend on previous work and examine whether the relationship between passion and athlete burnout was mediated by psychological need satisfaction in a heterogeneous sample. Participants were 120 competitive athletes (Mage = 22.04, SD = 5.83) from 21 different sports. Each participant completed the Passion Scale, Basic Psychological Needs in Sport Scale, and the Athlete Burnout Questionnaire. Multiple regression and bootstrapping procedures were used to analyze the data. Passion (harmonious and obsessive) was found to share a significant relationship with sport devaluation but shared no significant relationship with emotional and physical exhaustion and reduced sense of accomplishment. Bootstrapping results suggested that the basic psychological need of autonomy was the only significant mediating variable in the relationship between passion (harmonious and obsessive) and burnout (sport devaluation). Potential antecedents and consequences of athlete burnout, alongside applied and conceptual implications are discussed.Published versio

Does passion for physical activity spillover into performance at work? Examining the direct and indirect effects of passion and life satisfaction on organisational performance and innovativeness

Many individuals are passionate for physical activity such as cycling, running, and soccer. Drawing from the dualistic model of passion, the purpose of the present study was to examine the direct and indirect relationships between passion (harmonious and obsessive) for physical activity, life satisfaction, performance, and innovativeness in organisational settings. Survey data were gathered from 272 cyclists who also occupied employment roles beyond their cycling pursuits. Data were analysed using structural equation modelling. Results indicated a direct positive relationship between harmonious passion and both performance and innovativeness at work. Moreover, results indicated that perceived life satisfaction indirectly influenced the relationships between harmonious passion and both performance and innovativeness at work. No significant relationships were found between obsessive passion for cycling and either organisational performance outcome. In sum, these findings suggest that passion for physical activity directly and indirectly (through life satisfaction) enhance organisational performance outcomes but only for harmonious passion.2021-05-2