The Effect of Coach's Nonverbal Communication on Athlete Satisfaction, Mediated by Emotional Response in Team Sports

Objective: The objective of this research was to investigate the causal relationship between coaches' nonverbal communication and athlete satisfaction, emphasizing the mediating role of emotional responses in adolescent team sport athletes. Method: The study employed a descriptive-correlational and applied design. The statistical population consisted of team sport athletes in Zanjan Province, aged ۱۲ to ۱۸. Among them, ۳۳۲ individuals were selected using purposive and convenience sampling. Data collection instruments included standard questionnaires for nonverbal communication (Chang & Jung, ۲۰۲۳), athlete satisfaction (Mohaddes, ۲۰۱۰), and emotional response (Jang & Yun, ۲۰۱۱). Data were analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) in SMART PLS v.۳ software. Key Findings: Structural Equation Modeling results indicated that coaches' nonverbal communication has a significant direct effect on athlete satisfaction (B=۰.۵۵). Furthermore, the mediating role of emotional responses in this relationship was confirmed. Path analysis confirmed a strong and significant effect of nonverbal communication on emotional response (T=۱۸.۶۷) and emotional response on satisfaction (T=۱۲.۹۲). Conclusion: Positive nonverbal communication from the coach, by stimulating desirable emotional responses in athletes, increases their satisfaction both directly and indirectly. It is recommended that specialized training courses be designed for coaches to enhance nonverbal communication skills and manage athletes' emotions. Introduction: The success of team sports goes beyond technical ability; it heavily relies on an effective psychological environment and positive interactions. The coach's nonverbal communication (including body language and tone of voice), which constitutes about ۵۵% of communicative content, plays a vital role in conveying emotions and directly impacting athlete satisfaction. Understanding how this influence occurs is central to our research. The core hypothesis is that the coach's nonverbal signals first trigger emotional responses (positive or negative) in the athlete, and these emotions subsequently shape their ultimate satisfaction. Previous studies have emphasized the importance of coaches' nonverbal behaviors and confirmed their relationship with satisfaction and emotional responses. However, the existing literature in sport psychology has presented limited research in the form of a unified causal modeling approach, specifically focusing on the full mediating role of emotional response in the relationship between nonverbal communication and athlete satisfaction within domestic team sport settings. The motivation for this research is to fill this gap and provide a structurally confirmed model based on field data for sport policymaking. Despite the recognition of its importance, few studies have specifically examined the impact of coaches' nonverbal communication on athletes' satisfaction. Moreover, the mediating role of athletes' emotional responses in this relationship has received little attention. Therefore, the aim of this study is to investigate the role of coaches' nonverbal communication in shaping athletes' emotional experiences and satisfaction in team sports, and to explore whether coaches, through positive nonverbal cues, can evoke positive emotions in their players. Furthermore, the study seeks to determine whether these emotions lead to greater satisfaction with the coach, the team, and the overall sporting experience. Methodology: Type of Research: The present study is applied in terms of objective and descriptive- correlational in terms of data collection method, employing Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). Population and Sample: The statistical population comprised all adolescent athletes (aged ۱۲ to ۱۸ years) competing in team sports (such as football, volleyball, basketball, and futsal) across Zanjan Province. A total of ۳۳۲ individuals were selected from this population using purposive and convenience sampling. Data Collection Instruments: Data were collected using three standard questionnaires (details of the constructors are provided in the Abstract section). The reliability of the instruments was confirmed using Cronbach's Alpha, yielding values of ۰.۸۰۶ for nonverbal communication, ۰.۷۷۹ for satisfaction, and ۰.۶۹۶ for emotional response.

کلیدواژه ها:

Nonverbal Communication ، Athlete Satisfaction ، Emotional Response ، Team Sports ، Structural Equation Modeling