Abstract
This research was directed at study of relationships between cohesion in sports teams of competitive levels and various types and forms of efficacy beliefs. It was performed in nine male handball clubs at three competitive levels. The sample includes 151 athletes. For assessment of cohesion, the questionnaire for cohesion examination of Carron et al. (Group Environment Questionnaire GЕQ) was used. For assessment of self-efficacy beliefs we applied Vealey instrument (TSCI – Trait Sport Confidence Inventory) which examines specific confidence in personal efficacy of an athlete during a competition. For the purposes of this research, the items of the original instrument of efficacy were adapted in another three forms (three scales) of analogous questions, for assessment of collective efficacy, presumption of the athletes on coach's confidence in their self efficacy and presumptions of athletes on the whole team efficacy. The principal research results demonstrated that: athletes of all three competitive levels show tendency to assess above average to high expression of all cohesion dimensions; the only statistically significant difference in cohesion between competition levels was obtained on the dimension of group integration - task between super and the second competition league. Two sets of variables (cohesion and efficacy) can be linked in two statistically significant ways, but only the first way of connection has some practical significance. All cohesion dimensions are positively correlated to efficacy beliefs: task-related dimensions display very high correlation while social-related dimensions display average intensity correlation. The set of efficacy beliefs variables, collective efficacy shows high correlation with cohesion dimensions. The athletes' assumptions on coach's confidence in their self efficacy and in team efficacy display average correlation with cohesion dimensions.