Relationships Between Mood, Cohesion And Satisfaction With Performance Among Soccer Players

The aim of this study was to investigate relationships between pre-competition group cohesion, mood, and performance in a soccer team over the course of a season. A male soccer team in England played eight games and data were analyzed on a game-by-game basis. Participants completed the Group Environment Questionnaire (Carron, Brawley, & Widmeyer, 1985) and Brunel Mood Scale to assess Anger, Confusion, Depression, Fatigue, Tension, and Vigor (Terry, Lane, Lane, & Keohane, 1999) before each competition. Post-competition, participants rated the quality of performance on a two-item scale. Results indicated that GEQ scores related to Vigor, lending support to the notion that being part of a cohesive team is associated with positive mood states. Relationships showed that Vigor and AGTT were associated with perceiving performance to be successful. Depressed mood was shown to be associated with a poor perception of performance. We suggest that future research should investigate the efficacy of applied interventions designed to improve cohesion and mood.