Team Spirit and Identity Construction: The Psychological Connections of Athlete and Group Belonging

Mesut GÜLEŞCE, Kemal SARĞIN, Fatih ERİŞ

Abstract


This study examines in detail the processes of team spirit and identity construction among athletes. Team spirit enhances athletes' sense of group belonging and psychological resilience, thereby strengthening their ability to cope with stress and negative emotional reactions. Athletes' social identities are shaped by identifying themselves as athletes and adopting the norms associated with this identity. This identity positively affects both individual and team performances. However, negative psychological variables such as athletic commitment and negative affectivity present significant research topics with their indirect effects on group belongingness. The aim of the study is to determine the impacts of these variables on athletes' psychological and social dynamics and to provide a solid theoretical foundation for interventions in this field. A survey was conducted with 297 athletes from various sports disciplines. Data were collected using the social identity, athletic commitment, negative affectivity, and group belongingness scales. Reliability and validity analyses of the scales were performed, and descriptive statistics and correlation analyses were conducted. Furthermore, the direct and indirect relationships between the variables were tested using structural equation modeling. The model fit indices were found to be at a good level, and the significance levels of all direct paths were determined as p < 0.05. The results show that the indirect effects of social identity on group belongingness through athletic commitment and negative affectivity are significant.

Keywords: Team Spirit, Identity Construction, Group Belongingness, Sport


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References


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DOI: https://doi.org/10.53016/jerp.v6i1.267

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