هویت اجتماعی و رفتار اجتماعی و ضد اجتماعی در ورزش جوانان

Abstract Objectives To examine (a) the effects of social identity on prosocial and antisocial behavior toward teammates and opponents, and (b) whether any effects of social identity on prosocial and antisocial behavior were mediated by cohesion. Design Prospective, observational. Methods Male and female youth–sport participants (N = 329; Mage = 15.88 years) completed questionnaires at the beginning, middle and end of the season assessing three dimensions of social identity (cognitive centrality, ingroup ties, ingroup affect), cohesion (task, social) and prosocial and antisocial behavior toward teammates and opponents.

Conclusion The social context plays a vital role in developing an individual's sense of self (McGrath, 1984) and determining moral thought and action (Bandura, 2002). This study examined how the important yet neglected role of sport teams may influence prosocial and antisocial behaviors in youth. Specifically, young athletes' perceptions of social identity associated with a youth sport team near the beginning of season were predictive of their prosocial and antisocial behaviors toward teammates and opponents at the end of a season. The study findings offer support for previous suggestions that next to family, sport teams are one of the most influential groups to which an individual can belong (Carron & Brawley, 2008). The study results provide preliminary evidence for the important role social identity may have in influencing the prosocial and antisocial behaviors of youth in sport, and the potential role of cohesion in explaining some of these effects.