The relationship between group cohesion, group norms, and perceived social loafing in soccer teams
Høigaard, Säfvenbom and Tønnessen surveyed 118 junior-league soccer players in Norway with a questionnaire covering two forms of cohesion (attraction to the team's task and social bonds among members), three team norms (productivity, role commitment and mutual support) and perceived social loafing. As predicted, every cohesion and norm measure went with lower perceived loafing, with task attraction, productivity norms and social-support norms the significant predictors. A three-way interaction among task cohesion, social cohesion and performance norms emerged, and the pattern most associated with perceived loafing was high social cohesion with low task cohesion and weak norms. The data are self-reported correlations and measure perceived rather than actual loafing.
Høigaard, Säfvenbom and Tønnessen surveyed 118 junior-league soccer players in Norway with a questionnaire covering two forms of cohesion (attraction to the team's task and social bonds among members), three team norms (productivity, role commitment and mutual support) and perceived social loafing. As predicted, every cohesion and norm measure went with lower perceived loafing, with task attraction, productivity norms and social-support norms the significant predictors. A three-way interaction among task cohesion, social cohesion and performance norms emerged, and the pattern most associated with perceived loafing was high social cohesion with low task cohesion and weak norms. The data are self-reported correlations and measure perceived rather than actual loafing.
Written from the abstract, publisher record, 2026-11-01.
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Høigaard, R., Säfvenbom, R., & Tønnessen, F. E. (2006). The relationship between group cohesion, group norms, and perceived social loafing in soccer teams. Small Group Research, 37(3), 217-232. doi:10.1177/1046496406287311 https://doi.org/10.1177/1046496406287311