The Relationship Between Group Cohesion, Group Norms, and Perceived Social Loafing in Soccer Teams

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between group cohesion, group norms, and perceived social loafing among 118 soccer players playing junior league in Norway. Each player completed a questionnaire assessing group cohesion (task cohesion and social cohesion), team norms (productive norms, role involvement, and social support norms), and perceived social loafing. As predicted, all cohesion- and team-norm subscales were negatively correlated with perceived social loafing. Furthermore, the results showed that the players’ attraction to their team’s task as well as their perception of the productive- and social-support norm predicted perceptions of social loafing. A significant three-way interaction between task cohesion, social cohesion, and performance norm emerged. The analysis showed that the combination of high social cohesion, low task cohesion, and low team norms seems to underlie perceptions of social loafing.

Role Satisfaction Mediates the Relation between Role Ambiguity and Social Loafing among Elite Women Handball Players

“…Self-reported social loafing was measured using the newly developed Self-Reported Social Loafing Questionnaire (SRSLQ), adapted from the Perceived Social Loafing Questionnaire (PSLQ: Høigaard, 2010;Høigaard & Ommundsen, 2007;Høigaard, Säfvenbom et al, 2006). The results provided preliminary evidence that SRSLQ is a psychometrically sound instrument to measure self-reported social loafing.…”

“…A higher score indicates higher perceived social loafing. In previous studies the PSLQ has proved to be both valid and reliable (Høigaard & Ommundsen, 2007;Høigaard, Säfvenbom et al, 2006). Cronbach's alpha for the PSLQ in the current study was .68, which can be regarded as acceptable.…”

“…The Perceived Social Loafing Questionnaire (PSLQ) (Høigaard, 2010;Høigaard & Ommundsen, 2007;Høigaard, Säfvenbom et al, 2006) asks for athletes' perceptions of social loafing behaviors in "members of the team" implicitly including the individual answering the statements and thus in part an indication of the perception of their own propensity to loaf. Therefore the PSLQ -score should relate positively to self-reported social loafing, but without sharing a large degree of variance.…”

“…First, role ambiguity entails uncertainty about what one should be doing and this in itself may contribute to reduced personal input. Second, role ambiguity may create a sense that one's own resources are not being optimally utilized, thereby reducing the value of the group and group cohesion, both of which have been shown to facilitate social loafing (Carron, Hausenblas, & Eys, 2005;Høigaard, Säfvenbom, & Tønnessen, 2006;Høigaard, Tofteland, et al, 2006). Third, to be able to carry out the role well, it is important that the player is satisfied with the tasks and the responsibilities that go with the role he or she is required to perform.…”

“…The rationale for this is that even though the perception of social loafing may not always reflect actual social loafing in other team members, having the perception that teammates are not giving 100% can result in an individual reducing his or her own input (Høigaard, 2008). To enable athletes to quantify their perception of social loafing in their teammates, the Perceived Social Loafing Questionnaire was developed, and has been shown to be psychometrically valid and reliable in a number of published studies (Høigaard, 2010;Høigaard & Ommundsen, 2007;Høigaard & Peters, 2009;Høigaard, Säfvenbom, & Tønnessen, 2006). The phenomenon of self-reported social loafing (i.e., the quantification of one's own propensity to contribute less to the group than one should), has received much less attention.…”