RESEARCH_FILE
Albert V. Carron
University of Western Ontario (1974–2011)
Known for:Foundational conceptual model of group cohesion in sport and the first meta-analysis linking cohesion to performance
SEE THE PRACTICE
Turn a thought this research explains into one clear move.
THE THOUGHT
“I'm on the team but not in the group”
YOUR RECORDED RESPONSE
“I can be counted on here without being in every side conversation.”
ONE PRIVATE MOVE
On a blank note or scrap of paper, draw two short headings: “Work I did” and “Meaning I gave it.” Spend five quiet minutes filling each with fragments from one recent practice or game, then fold or delete it.
Key findings
- 1981
Cohesion in sport groups is multidimensional, splitting into task cohesion (unity toward shared objectives) and social cohesion (interpersonal attraction), each assessable at the group and individual level — a departure from treating cohesion as one uniform quality. The Dynamics of Group Cohesion in Sport ↗
- 2002
Pooling 46 studies and 164 effect sizes, cohesion shows a significant moderate-to-large relationship with performance in sport teams — stronger in refereed publications and for female teams than for male teams. Cohesion and Performance in Sport: A Meta Analysis ↗
- 2002
As a co-author of the field's operational model of role ambiguity, contributed the finding that unclear scope, behavioral, evaluative, and consequence-related expectations — across both offensive and defensive roles — predict poorer role performance in interdependent sport teams. Role Ambiguity, Role Efficacy, and Role Performance: Multidimensional and Mediational Relationships Within Interdependent Sport Teams ↗