It Depends on the Partner: Person-Related Sources of Efficacy Beliefs and Performance for Athlete Pairs

Abstract

1This study explored person-related sources of variance in athletes' efficacy beliefs and 2 performances when performing in pairs with distinguishable roles differing in partner 3 dependence. College cheerleaders (n = 102) performed their role in repeated performance 4 trials of two low-and two high-difficulty paired-stunt tasks with three different partners. Data 5 were obtained on self-, other-, and collective efficacies and subjective performances, and 6 objective performance assessments were obtained from digital recordings. Using the Social 7Relations Model framework, total variance in each belief/assessment was partitioned, for 8 each role, into numerical components of person-related variance relative to the self, the other, 9 and the collective. Variance component by performance role by task-difficulty RM-ANOVAs 10 revealed the largest person-related variance component differed by athlete role and increased 11 in size in high-difficulty tasks. Results suggest the extent athlete performance depends on a 12 partner relates to the extent the partner is a source of self-, other-, and collective efficacy. For athlete-athlete dyads, the partner is an important feature of one's performance 3 environment (Kenny, Mohr, & Levesque, 2001). The performance of a given task can feel 4 subjectively easier or more difficult depending upon the partner. For example, as much as an 5American football receiver might be renowned for his ability to make unlikely catches, the 6 possibility of success remains largely dependent on the quarterback being able to deliver the 7 ball within the receiver's "catchable zone." One can imagine, therefore, that the receiver's 8 confidence in successful pass completion on a certain route can vary according to which 9 quarterback is passing the ball. In fact, elite athletes have reported that how a partner 10 performs will influence both personal and team strategies (Wickwire, Bloom, & Loughead, 11 2004). It is reasonable to posit, as a consequence, that each athlete in a performance dyad will 12likely have beliefs about self-performance (e.g., self-efficacy), the partner's performance 13 (e.g., other-efficacy), and their dyadic performance (e.g., collective efficacy) as postulated in 14 theory (Bandura, 1977(Bandura, , 1997 Lent & Lopez, 2002). Unfortunately, how these beliefs are 15 specifically dependent on perceptions of others in performing dyads remains an understudied 16 aspect of team dynamics research (Back & Kenny, 2010; Kenny et al., 2001). The purpose of 17 this study was to examine the person-related sources of variance in self-, other-, and 18 collective efficacy beliefs and performances for dyad athletes performing in a low-versus 19 high-dependence role during both low-and high-difficulty tasks. 20 Efficacy Beliefs 21Self-efficacy refers to the belief in one's own capabilities to execute action (Bandura, 22 1977) and, as indicated by Feltz and Lirgg (2001), is one of the most important psychological 23 constructs thought to affect performance outcomes (for revie...

Efficacy Beliefs Are Related to Task Cohesion: Communication Is a Mediator

“…Moreover, the current findings are in accordance with Jackson et al's (2008) observations that elite dyad athletes reporting higher levels of other-efficacy beliefs also report more acceptance of a partner's communication. While this was established in two-person teams, the findings of the present study suggest that team-focused efficacy beliefs aid the functionality of larger-sized teams, and extends previous research on athlete dyads to larger-sized teams (Habeeb et al, 2017(Habeeb et al, , 2019Jackson et al, 2008;Wickwire et al, 2004). A team athlete who has high confidence in the group of teammates, for example, is more likely to communicate to resolve disruptions and listen to what his or her teammates communicate.…”

“…Team-focused other-efficacy and team-focused relation-inferred self-efficacy (RISE) are distinct from efficacy appraisals based on singular significant others and hold consequences of their own including self-efficacy, enjoyment, and continuance intentions (Jackson et al, 2014). While there has been a predominate focus on only collective efficacy and task cohesion in teams (Gaudreau, Fecteau, & Perreault, 2010), team-focused otherefficacy and team-focused RISE have implications for larger-sized teams (Habeeb, Eklund, & Coffee, 2017;Jackson et al, 2008;Wickwire, Bloom, & Loughead, 2004). The investigation of team-focused efficacy beliefs in addition to collective efficacy, would align to the heavily supported contention in athlete dyads that several efficacy constructs have a complimentary and mutual influence towards team outcomes (Lent & Lopez, 2002;Stonecypher, Bloom, Johnson, Bolin, & Hilliard, 2018).…”

Interdependent Tripartite Efficacy Perceptions and Individual Performance: Case Study of a Boys’ Basketball Team

“…Dyads are the smallest team unit, consisting of two communicating members who rely on one another for personal and mental support in social and task-based pursuits (Wickwire et al, 2004); they can be represented in sports by coach-athlete, coach-coach, and athlete-athlete pairings. Athlete-athlete dyads in larger sports teams have become a critical area of study due to the interdependent relationship needed for successful performances (Bourbousson, Se`ve, & McGarry, 2010;Habeeb, Eklund, & Coffee, 2017;Vilar, Arau´jo, Davids, & Button, 2012). Further, evidence suggests that stronger dyadic relationships are associated with greater overall team effectiveness (Wickwire et al, 2004).…”

“…Most of the research on efficacy beliefs has focused on self-efficacy or a person's belief about his or her own ability to perform particular behaviors or skills (Bandura, 1986(Bandura, , 1997Besharat & Pourbohlool, 2011;Hepler & Chase, 2008;Lent, Schmidt, & Schmidt, 2006;Yeo & Neal, 2006). Self-efficacy has also been applied to an understanding of a group's collective sense of efficacy (i.e., a group of athletes' beliefs in their ability as a team to perform well) by combining the self-efficacy beliefs of individual team members to establish an aggregate selfefficacy of the group (Bandura, 1986(Bandura, , 1997Habeeb et al, 2017;Heuze´, Raimbault, & Fontayne, 2006). Other-efficacy, an individual's belief about the ability of his or her partner, and RISE, an individual's beliefs about how his or her efficacy is perceived by the partner, are the two other aspects of tripartite efficacy beliefs.…”

“…Other-efficacy, an individual's belief about the ability of his or her partner, and RISE, an individual's beliefs about how his or her efficacy is perceived by the partner, are the two other aspects of tripartite efficacy beliefs. Other-efficacy and RISE should be examined in dyadic pairs of interdependent sports teams because the strength of these pairs has been found to be related to team cohesion and success (Habeeb et al, 2017;Jackson et al, 2008;Lent & Lopez, 2002;Wickwire et al, 2004).…”