Syncing to perform? A naturalistic uncontrolled prospective case study of emotional and physiological synchrony in a team of male volleyball athletes

Group processes are important for promoting relational and performance-related outcomes in sport; however, research exploring emotional and physiological synchrony and performance outcomes is rare. The objective of this study was to examine perceived emotional synchrony, physiological synchrony, and performance among male volleyball players using a naturalistic uncontrolled prospective case study approach over nine practices. Athletes participated in a coach-led pre-practice group visualization routine, while their heart rate and heart rate variability were continuously monitored. Athletes completed post-practice measures of emotional synchrony, and athletes and coaches completed ratings of individual and team performance. Emotional and physiological synchrony were not significantly correlated, but they were differentially related to performance outcomes, and there were significant interaction effects between physiological synchrony and time. Athletes' ratings of their own and their team's performance were associated with their perceived emotional synchrony. Coach performance ratings were associated with pre-practice team physiological synchrony but were unrelated to athletes' perceived emotional synchrony. Heart rate synchrony was associated with athlete and coach performance ratings and may be important for team dynamics and performance outcomes. The findings demonstrate evidence for emotional and physiological synchrony among athletes, providing a platform for future research examining processes and impacts of synchrony in sport.

Aggression and anxiety influence the relationship between interpersonal sensitivity and military morale among new recruits

We explored the internal mechanism of military morale by examining the relationships of interpersonal sensitivity, aggression, anxiety, and military morale among newly recruited army soldiers. Participants (N = 718) completed a self-report survey measuring the focal variables. The results indicate that military morale was negatively related to interpersonal sensitivity and aggression. Further, aggression played a mediating role in the relationship between interpersonal sensitivity and military morale, and the mediating effect of aggression was, in turn, moderated by anxiety. Our study enriches the interpersonal model of military morale and has implications for interventions to improve military morale, such as training in reduction of interpersonal sensitivity or counseling for high interpersonal sensitivity to improve military morale, and avoiding selecting individuals with high levels of interpersonal sensitivity, anxiety, and aggression when recruiting soldiers.