Effects of a multifaceted team goal-setting intervention for youth volleyball teams

The current study examined the effects of a season-long multifaceted team goal-setting intervention (with emphasis on both individual and team level goal) on perceptions of team cohesion and collective efficacy. Using a non-randomized controlled design with 81 female volleyball players (Mage = 16.57, SD = .25) from six teams, three teams (n = 3) were assigned as intervention condition while the remaining teams (n = 3) represented no-treatment control condition. Teams in the intervention condition participated in a three-stage team goal-setting protocol with an extension of the individual goal-setting phase throughout a season. All participants completed questionnaires measuring perceptions of team cohesion and collective efficacy at three time-points throughout the season (i.e., beginning, midseason, end-season). In addition, participants in the intervention condition completed performance profiles at the beginning and the end of the season. Compared to the control group, the task cohesion perceptions of the intervention group were significantly higher in the midseason, the social cohesion perceptions were significantly higher at the end of the season, and their collective efficacy perceptions were significantly higher both in the midseason and at the end of the season. These results revealed the effectiveness of the multifaceted team goal-setting intervention on team cohesion and collective efficacy. Lay summary: This study extends the team goal-setting literature by conducting a season-long multifaceted team goal-setting intervention in youth volleyball teams. The intervention involved both individual and team goals and aimed to improve coherence between those goals through task interdependence.