The Role of Social Cohesion in Predicting Athlete Engagement: Moderating Effects of Team-Based vs. One-on-One Mental Toughness Sessions

Social cohesion, the interpersonal attraction and relationships among team members, are often positively associated with athlete engagement. Mental toughness (MT) is linked to both social cohesion and engagement, but how different MT session formats influence this relationship remains unclear. Individual consulting allows for greater customization, tailoring mental skills training to an athlete’s specific needs. However, a combination of individual and group consulting is recommended. PURPOSE: To examine whether social cohesion predicts engagement and how session format (team-based vs. one-on-one) moderates this relationship. METHODS: Twenty-four female collegiate dancers participated in a repeated-measures study with 107 observations. Participants engaged in both team and one-on-one sessions designed to develop a mentally tough mindset. Social cohesion was assessed using the Group Environment Questionnaire via the Individual Attraction to Group-Social (ATGS) and Group Integration-Social (GIS) subscales. Athlete engagement was measured using the Employee Engagement Scale, and MT was assessed via the Mental Toughness Index. A linear mixed-effects model was conducted in MATLAB 2025a using the fitlme function to examine the relationship between social cohesion and athlete engagement, with session format as a moderator. Interaction terms were computed for team, one-on-one, and combined sessions to determine their moderating effects. Significance was evaluated at p < .05, and effect sizes were interpreted based on standardized beta coefficients. RESULTS: Social cohesion did not significantly predict engagement, F(1,99) = 3.28, p = .072, β = -0.14. One-on-one sessions significantly predicted engagement, F(1,99) = 7.24, p = .008, β = 9.68. However, at high cohesion levels, excessive one-on-one sessions reduced engagement, F(1,99) = 9.62, p = .002, β = -0.29. Attending both team and one-on-one sessions balanced this effect, F(1,99) = 13.27, p < .001, β = 0.08. Team sessions alone did not significantly impact engagement, F(1,99) = 0.60, p = .441, β = -0.02. CONCLUSION: One-on-one sessions enhanced engagement, while an overreliance on that format at high cohesion levels diminished it. A balanced approach combining both team and one-on-one sessions proved most effective in maximizing engagement.