Understanding Social Identity and Intrateam Moral Behavior in Competitive Youth Ice Hockey: A Narrative Perspective

Abstract

Social identity has been found to play a salient role in regulating teammate behavior among youth participating in a range of sports (Bruner, Boardley, & Côté, 2014). This study aimed to better understand social identity by examining how it may influence intrateam moral behavior specifically in competitive youth ice hockey. Thirty-six male and female competitive youth ice hockey players from nine teams participated in narrative interviews. Using a thematic narrative analysis, three distinct narratives were identified: (1) family-oriented team narrative, (2) performance-oriented team narrative, and (3) dominance-oriented team narrative. Within each of the narratives, a reciprocal relationship between social identity and intrateam moral behavior was reported such that young athletes’ social identities developed through team membership may influence and be influenced by their moral behavior toward teammates. Collectively, the results extend previous research by providing an in-depth qualitative understanding of social identity and intrateam moral behavior in youth sport.

A social identity approach to understanding the conditions associated with antisocial behaviors among teammates in female teams.

“…At a practical level, it may be particularly difficult to deter negative or counterproductive behaviors when athletes strongly identify with a team where antisocial behaviors are part of its social fabric. Although several empirical studies have shown antisocial behaviors directed toward teammates to be relatively infrequent, with reported sample means falling below the midpoint of the scale (e.g., Bruner et al, 2014; Studies 1–2 in Kavussanu, Stanger, & Boardley, 2013), even an isolated antisocial act can powerfully impact an athlete’s sport experience (Bruner, Boardley, Allan, Forrest, et al, 2016). Moreover, Al-Yaaribi et al (2016) demonstrated that being the recipient of antisocial behaviors enacted by teammates during a match was positively associated with anger and negatively associated with effort.…”

“…This is notable, given that recent qualitative work alluded to potential gender differences related to how athletes interpret their teammates’ antisocial behaviors. Through the use of stimulated recall interviews, Bruner et al (2016) found that female athletes were particularly attuned to the occurrence of more covert social exclusionary behaviors, whereas male athletes more commonly described more overt antisocial behaviors. Thus, it would be worthwhile to examine the role of social identity as a moderator of the relationship between perceived norms-individual behaviors in males, as well as other sport types.…”

An exploration of the organisational stressors encountered by international disability footballers

“…The players' perceptions on this stressor tallies with research that has noted how antisocial teammate behaviours (e.g., being unwilling to partake in prescribed physical conditioning training) can negatively impact upon an athlete's sport experience in contrast to prosocial behaviours (e.g., partaking in team bonding exercises) which are positively associated with effort, performance, and enjoyment (Bruner et al, 2017). As noted by Allan et al (2018), an athlete's sense of belonging is wrapped up within their performance and relational narratives, with possible interpretations based around social acceptance as well as a sense of community within the group potentially influencing performance output.…”

Will Social Network Relationship Significantly Enhance Farmers’ Participation in the Supply of Small Water-Saving Irrigation and Water Conservancy Facilities in China?

“…Social ethos and sense of belonging belong to the category of social identity, which can affect the emotion and cohesion between the individuals in a group. However, the study finds that social identity does not have a significant impact on individual behavior, which may be due to group norms [60][61][62]. In the villages with good social ethos, the degree of organization is higher, and the degree of homogenization of the farmers is also higher.…”