EFFECTS OF 6 WEEKS PSYCHOLOGICAL SKILL TRAINING ON TEAM COHESION, SELF-CONFIDENCE & ANXIETY: A CASE OF YOUTH BASKETBALL PLAYERS A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES OF MIDDLE EAST TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY BY BÜLENT OKAN MİÇOOĞULLARI IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY IN THE DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICAL EDUCATION AND SPORTS JUNE 2013 Approval of the Graduate School of Social Sciences ___________________________ Prof. Dr. Meliha ALTUNIŞIK Director I certify that this thesis satisfies all the requirements as a thesis for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. ___________________________ Prof. Dr. M. Settar KOÇAK Head of Department This is to certify that we have read this thesis and that in our opinion it is fully adequate, in scope and quality, as a thesis for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. ___________________________ ___________________________ Prof. Dr. F. Hülya AŞÇI Assist. Prof. Dr. Sadettin KİRAZCI Co-Advisor Supervisor Examining Committee Members Prof. Dr. Settar KOÇAK (METU, PES) _____________________ Prof. Dr. Gazanfer DOĞU (AİBÜ, PESHS) _____________________ Assoc. Prof. Dr. M. Levent İNCE (METU, PES) _____________________ Assoc. Prof. Dr. Emine ÇAĞLAR (KÜ, PESHS) _____________________ Assist. Prof. Dr. Sadettin KİRAZCI (METU, PES) _____________________ I hereby declare that all information in this document has been obtained and presented in accordance with academic rules and ethical conduct. I also declare that, as required by these rules and conduct, I have fully cited and referenced all material and results that are not original to this work. Name, Last Name : B. Okan MİÇOOĞULLARI Signature : iii ABSTRACT EFFECTS OF 6 WEEKS PSYCHOLOGICAL SKILL TRAINING ON TEAM COHESION, SELF-CONFIDENCE & ANXIETY: A CASE OF YOUTH BASKETBALL PLAYERS Miçooğulları, Okan Bülent Ph.D., Department of Physical Education & Sports Supervisor: Assist. Prof. Dr. Sadettin KİRAZCI Co-Supervisor: Prof. Dr. F. Hülya AŞÇI February 2013, 178 pages The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of six weeks psychological skills training program (PST) based on cognitive-behavioral conceptual framework on the team cohesion, confidence, and anxiety of an intact team. Participants consisted of two teams of 36 male youth basketball players. The PST program consisted of team building, goal setting, relaxation, imagery, self-talk, pep-talk, converting thoughts, autogenic training, and progressive relaxation techniques. For the quantitative part of the study Group Environment Questionnaire (GEQ), the Trait Sport-Confidence Inventory (TSCI), and the State- Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) were given during the pre-intervention, post- intervention, first, second and third follow-up tests. Qualitative process was used in current study to support validation of implied PST program. Six players and coach were interviewed with semi-structured questions. A mixed design MANOVA revealed significant differences over time for team cohesion (F = [16, 19] 3.25, p < .05). A mixed design ANOVA revealed significant differences over time for self-confidence (F = 12.05, p < .05) but there was no significant [4, 31] differences for anxiety (F = .58, p > .05). Moreover, comparison between [4, 31] experimental and control group results indicated that there was a significant iv results between those two groups. Overall, it was concluded that the PST program with experimental team affected athletes’ team cohesion and self- confidence levels positively but there was no significant affect on athletes’ anxiety levels. Key words: Psychological skill training program, Team-cohesion, Self-confidence, Anxiety v ÖZ 6 HAFTALIK PSİKOLOJİK BECERİ ANTRENMANI UYGULAMASININ TAKIM BÜTÜNLÜĞÜ, KENDİNE GÜVEN ve KAYGI DÜZEYLERİ ÜZERİNE ETKİSİ: GENÇ BASKETBOL OYUNCULARI ÖRNEĞİ Miçooğulları, Bülent Okan Doktora, Beden Eğitimi ve Spor Bölümü Tez Yöneticisi: Yrd. Doç. Dr. Sadettin KİRAZCI Ortak Tez Yöneticisi: Prof. Dr. F. Hülya AŞÇI Haziran 2013, 178 sayfa Bu çalışmanın amacı, zihinsel-davranışçı yaklaşıma dayanan 6 haftalık psikolojik beceri antrenmanın daha önceden bu yönde herhangi bir eğitim almamış olan bir basketbol takımı sporcularında ki takım bütünlüğü, kendine güven ve kaygı düzeylerine olan etkisini incelemektir. Çalışmanın örneklemini 36 erkek sporcudan oluşan iki basketbol takımı oluşturmaktadır. Psikolojik beceri antrenmanı programı sporcular için şekillendirilmiş ve program içerisinde takım yapılandırma, hedef belirleme, imgeleme, kendi kendine konuşma, motive edici konuşma, düşüncenin yönünün değiştirilmesi, otojenik antrenman ve aşamalı gevşeme teknikleri kullanılmıştır. Çalışmanın nicel bölümü içerisinde, Grup Çevresi Anketi, Sürekli Sportif Güven Envanteri ve Durumluk-Sürekli Kaygı Envanteri sporculara uygulanmıştır. Bu anketler program öncesi, program sonrası, birinci, ikinci ve üçüncü kalıcılık testinde sporculara doldurulmuştur. Çalışma içerisinde uygulanan psikolojik beceri antrenmanının geçerliliğini desteklemek için nitel süreçler uygulanmıştır. Deney grubu içerisinden altı sporcu ve takımın koçu ile yarı yapılandırılmış görüşmeler gerçekleştirilmiştir. Karışık dizayn çok yönlü varyans analizi sonuçları, takım bütünlüğü için tüm uygulamalar vi sürecinden sonra anlamlı farklılıklar oluştuğunu göstermiştir (F = 3.25, p < (16, 19) .05). Karışık dizayn tek yönlü varyans analizi sonuçları incelendiğinde ise sürekli sportif güven için anlamlı farklılıklara ulaşıldığını (F = 12.05, p < .05) fakat (4, 31) sürekli kaygı envanteri için sonuçlarda herhangi anlamlı bir farklılığa ulaşılmamıştır (F = .58, p > .05). Bunlarla birlikte deney ve kontrol gruplarını (4, 31) karşılaştıran analizler incelendiğinde, gruplar arasında anlamlı farklıklar oluştuğu saptanmıştır. Sonuç olarak, deney grubu basketbol takımına uygulanan psikolojik beceri antrenmanının sporcuların takım bütünlüğü ve sportif güven becerileri üzerine beklenen şekilde olumlu katkıları olduğunu fakat sporcuların kaygı düzeyleri üzerinde herhangi anlamlı bir etkisi olmadığı belirlenmiştir. Anahtar Kelimeler: Psikolojik beceri antrenmanı, Takım bütünlüğü, Özgüven, Kaygı vii To My Family viii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS First, I’d like to thank Assist. Prof. Sadettin Kirazcı, my PhD thesis advisor. He was my graduate supervisor throughout all my years at METU. Next, I’d like to thank my committee members: Prof. Gazanfer Doğu, Prof. Settar KOÇAK, and Associate Prof. Mustafa Levent İNCE, and Assoc. Prof. Emine ÇAĞLAR. Thank you for your insight and advice throughout the PhD defense process. I owe a debt of gratitude to Prof. F. Hülya AŞÇI for her contributions to prepare this dissertation. Prof. Aşçı accepted me as a doctoral student and continuously helped me to do this dissertation. She spent many hours and days to direct me how to imply the intervention program, properly. I would not have been able to complete this thesis without her help. Thank you very much for all your time and effort, it is deeply appreciated! Moreover, I am really appreciated to my dear friend Barış Sözeri. He gave me a chance to imply this intervention program on his team. Also, I have to say “Thank you Guys!” to all athletes in our experimental group. Thanks to all for being my new brothers !!! I’d like to thank my dear friends, Selçuk Akpınar, Deniz Hünük, Günay Yıldızer, and all people in my department at METU. They always supported me throughout my PhD education. Special thanks also to Prof. Hülya Gökmen, and Asst. Prof. Dilşad Mirzeoğlu who encouraged me to come to METU. Last but certainly not least, to my wife Nilgün, my daughter Masal Deniz and my newborn son Eymen Okan. No one has done more to get me through this stage than you. You have been my constant support. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. ix TABLE OF CONTENTS PLAGIARISM ........................................................................................................ iii ABSTRACT ........................................................................................................... iv ÖZ ........................................................................................................................ vi DEDICATION .......................................................................................................viii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS....................................................................................... ix LIST OF TABLES ................................................................................................ xivv LIST OF FIGURES ……………………………………………………………………………………………xv CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION................................................................................................ 1 1.1 Background of the Study ........................................................................ 1 1.2. Rationale of the Study ........................................................................... 4 1.3 Research Questions ................................................................................ 5 1.4. Purpose of the Study ............................................................................. 5 1.5 Research Hypotheses ............................................................................. 5 1.6 Delimitations .......................................................................................... 6 1.7 Limitations .............................................................................................. 6 1.8 Assumptions ........................................................................................... 6 1.9 Definition and Abbreviation of Terms .................................................... 6 2. LITERATURE REVIEW ........................................................................................ 8 2.1 Psychological Skill Training ..................................................................... 8 2.2 Phases of PsychologicalSkill Training.................................................... 10 x