4. Smith et al. (1979)

About this Lecture

Lecture

In this lecture, we think about the 1979 study by Smith and colleagues on coach effectiveness training, focusing in particular on: (i) the experimental design and results of the study; (ii) some of the key implementations of training for the youth sport coaches in the experimental group, including modelling positive responses to failure and mistakes; (iii) the results of the study, which were that the coaches who received the training demonstrated more of the behaviours from the training, which resulted in more positive responses from the athletes and more team success; (iv) the positive impact the coach training had on the athlete’s self-esteem, which is a universally applicable benefit, over the course of the study period.

Course

In this course, Dr Matthew Slater (Staffordshire University) explores how we perform with others in sport and exercise. In the first lecture, we think about cohesion and the factors which make up Carron’s model of cohesion. In the second lecture, we think about social identity, split into social identity theory and self-categorisation theory. In the third lecture, we think about how our understanding of leadership has developed over time. Next, we work through Smith and colleagues’ 1979 study on coach effectiveness training. In the fifth and final lecture, we think about two key strategies to improve team performance as team goal setting and the 3R model.

Lecturer

Dr Matthew Slater is associate professor in the School of Health, Science and Wellbeing at Staffordshire University. Dr Slater’s research interests include the social identity approach to leadership, team functioning and psychophysiological responses to stress. Some of Dr Slater’s recent publications include 'Cognitive appraisals and team performance under stress: A simulation study' (2020) and 'A brief mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) intervention: investigating the effects with recreational runners' (2020).