Very little research in the context of sport has examined the constructs of teammate efficacy and teammate trust. Past research in the counseling and organization psychology areas suggest that efficacy in other group members (Lent & Lopez, 2002) and trust in teammates (Dirks, 1999) could have a significant impact on team performance and other group dynamic constructs. The purpose of this study was to examine the constructs of teammate efficacy, its relationship to self-efficacy, collective efficacy and team performance, and furthermore to examine teammate trust as a potential moderator between teammate efficacy and team performance. Eighteen girl's club volleyball teams were studied across an entire competitive season answering questionnaires of efficacy, trust and backing-up behaviors at three time points during their season. It was found that that the relationship between collective efficacy and teammate efficacy became stronger over the course of a competitive season. Teammate efficacy was not found to be a significant predictor of team performance. Teammate efficacy and teammate trust were highly correlated (i.e., showed multicollinearity) and therefore a moderating relationship between these variables to predict team performance was not tested. It was also found that decreased teammate trust significantly predicted increased feelings of having to back-up or cover for teammates while accounting for collective efficacy. Findings from this study contribute to a better understanding of these constructs in the sporting arena and offer a starting point for future research in this area.
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