Competitiveness and the process of co-adaptation in team sport performance

An evolutionary psycho-biological perspective on competitiveness dynamics is presented, focusing on continuous behavioral co-adaptations to constraints that arise in performance environments. We suggest that an athlete's behavioral dynamics are constrained by circumstances of competing for the...

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Main Authors: Pedro Passos, Duarte Araújo, Keith Davids
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2016-10-01
Series:Frontiers in Psychology
Subjects:
Online Access:http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fpsyg.2016.01562/full
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author Pedro Passos
Duarte Araújo
Keith Davids
author_facet Pedro Passos
Duarte Araújo
Keith Davids
author_sort Pedro Passos
collection DOAJ
description An evolutionary psycho-biological perspective on competitiveness dynamics is presented, focusing on continuous behavioral co-adaptations to constraints that arise in performance environments. We suggest that an athlete's behavioral dynamics are constrained by circumstances of competing for the availability of resources, which once obtained offer possibilities for performance success. This defines the influence of the athlete-environment relationship on competitiveness. Constraining factors in performance include proximity to target areas in team sports and the number of other competitors in a location. By pushing the athlete beyond existing limits, competitiveness enhances opportunities for co-adaptation, innovation and creativity, which can lead individuals towards different performance solutions to achieve the same performance goal. Underpinned by an ecological dynamics framework we examine whether competitiveness is a crucial feature to succeed in team sports. Our focus is on intra-team competitiveness, concerning the capacity of individuals within a team to become perceptually attuned to affordances in a given performance context which can increase their likelihood of success. This conceptualization implies a re-consideration of the concept of competitiveness, not as an inherited trait or entity to be acquired, but rather theorizing it as a functional performer-environment relationship that needs to be explored, developed, enhanced and maintained in team games training programs.
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spelling doaj.art-39303a156f0240d0871fc9fc923403dd2022-12-21T23:01:33ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782016-10-01710.3389/fpsyg.2016.01562220927Competitiveness and the process of co-adaptation in team sport performancePedro Passos0Duarte Araújo1Keith Davids2CIPER, Faculdade Motricidade Humana/Universidade de LisboaCIPER, Faculdade Motricidade Humana/Universidade de LisboaSheffield Hallam UniversityAn evolutionary psycho-biological perspective on competitiveness dynamics is presented, focusing on continuous behavioral co-adaptations to constraints that arise in performance environments. We suggest that an athlete's behavioral dynamics are constrained by circumstances of competing for the availability of resources, which once obtained offer possibilities for performance success. This defines the influence of the athlete-environment relationship on competitiveness. Constraining factors in performance include proximity to target areas in team sports and the number of other competitors in a location. By pushing the athlete beyond existing limits, competitiveness enhances opportunities for co-adaptation, innovation and creativity, which can lead individuals towards different performance solutions to achieve the same performance goal. Underpinned by an ecological dynamics framework we examine whether competitiveness is a crucial feature to succeed in team sports. Our focus is on intra-team competitiveness, concerning the capacity of individuals within a team to become perceptually attuned to affordances in a given performance context which can increase their likelihood of success. This conceptualization implies a re-consideration of the concept of competitiveness, not as an inherited trait or entity to be acquired, but rather theorizing it as a functional performer-environment relationship that needs to be explored, developed, enhanced and maintained in team games training programs.http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fpsyg.2016.01562/fullCompetitive Behavioraffordancesconstraintsinterpersonal coordinationteam sports
spellingShingle Pedro Passos
Duarte Araújo
Keith Davids
Competitiveness and the process of co-adaptation in team sport performance
Frontiers in Psychology
Competitive Behavior
affordances
constraints
interpersonal coordination
team sports
title Competitiveness and the process of co-adaptation in team sport performance
title_full Competitiveness and the process of co-adaptation in team sport performance
title_fullStr Competitiveness and the process of co-adaptation in team sport performance
title_full_unstemmed Competitiveness and the process of co-adaptation in team sport performance
title_short Competitiveness and the process of co-adaptation in team sport performance
title_sort competitiveness and the process of co adaptation in team sport performance
topic Competitive Behavior
affordances
constraints
interpersonal coordination
team sports
url http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fpsyg.2016.01562/full
work_keys_str_mv AT pedropassos competitivenessandtheprocessofcoadaptationinteamsportperformance
AT duartearaujo competitivenessandtheprocessofcoadaptationinteamsportperformance
AT keithdavids competitivenessandtheprocessofcoadaptationinteamsportperformance