Catching moods and hitting runs: Mood linkage and subjective performance in professional sport teams

Are the moods and subjective performances of professional sports players as sociated with the ongoing collective moods of their teammates? Players from 2 professional cricket teams used pocket computers to provide ratings of t heir moods and performances 3 times a day for 4 days during a competitive m atch between the teams. Pooled time-series analysis showed significant asso ciations between the average of teammates' happy moods and the players own moods and subjective performances; the associations 4 ere independent of ha ssles and favorable standing in the match. Mood linkage was greater when pl ayers were happier and engaged in collective activity. An intraperson analy sis of data from these teams and ? other teams showed that mood linkage was also greater for players who were older, more committed to the team. and m ore susceptible to emotional contagion. The results support and extend prev ious findings concerning mood linkage.