A Review of Psychological Factors Affecting Team Performance and Team Dynamics

Abstract

Psychological factors have a significant impact on team dynamics and performance outcomes in competitive sport. This article addressed the intricate interaction of communication, leadership styles, and group cohesion with team effectiveness and success as a whole by focusing on each component separately initially. Communication is essential to gain trust, cooperate, and share feedback, strategies, tactics, etc., in a sports team, but communication could be thwarted by barriers of language and emotional misunderstanding which reduced performance in the group. Leadership style varied given the leader’s approach. This creates different dynamics in the group related to the intention of the leader. Transformational leadership helped foster trust and motivation compared to autocratic approach which diminished teamwork and performance. Coaches shape the dynamics of sport groups by fostering a support environment, allowing for people to feel successful at implementing the necessary communication while controlling emotions. Group cohesion relates to task and social cohesion as an evolvement toward the success of the team. Cohesive teams have better teamwork, trust, and motivation; therefore, better performance results. Improved group cohesion can occur through team-building, communication systems, and committed to collaboration. We have discussed the considerations of tailored psychological-based approaches exclusive to creating approaches to consider these factors to best support athlete development/personal performance and team performance. Further research would be helpful to better clarify the psychological factors that influence group dynamics in sport