The Existence of Shared Understanding between Football Dyads

This is the raw data for the existence of shared understanding between football dyads. Shared understanding is defined as two or more people thinking similarly in specific situations (Blickensderfer et al., 2010). If team members have shared understanding, facilitated by an effective shared mental model, they can predict the actions of each other and provide a more effective team performance (Mathieu et al. 2000). However, further evidence is required to show whether football dyads possess shared understanding between experienced team members of a similar position. The purpose of this study was to examine the existence of shared understanding within football dyads, facilitated through an effective shared mental model. 24 football dyads (Mage = 19 ± 3 years) from youth, amateur and junior levels were recruited. Participants examined four video scenarios (2 attacking, 2 defensive). A single player in each scenario was indicated and participants had to infer their thoughts, feelings, and future actions at four time points in each scenario, as if they were that player. Actual and random dyads had responses compared for similarity on a 3-point scale (0 – not the same, 1 – similar, and 2 – almost identical) and a percentage of similarity was calculated using Ickes’s (2001) empathic accuracy paradigm. The results demonstrated dyads with experience performing together had higher percentages of similarity than randomly paired dyads. The findings also showed trends towards significance for dyads in their typical position compared to their atypical position. Based on the findings, dyads who have experience performing together were able to demonstrate their shared understanding, underpinned by an effective shared mental model.