Network analysis of personality traits, gender roles, and team cohesion in youth athletes

Abstract This study aimed to explore the associations among personality traits, gender roles, and team cohesion in youth athletes using network analysis and regression modeling. A sample of 518 youth athletes aged 12–18 years from a sports school in Jiangsu Province, China, completed standardized measures of personality traits, gender roles, and team cohesion. Network analysis visualized the interaction structure among variables, and regression analysis identified optimal predictors of team cohesion. Results showed that associations within constructs were stronger than those between constructs. Key inter-construct bridges included links between “Agreeableness” and “Task Attractiveness”, and between “Masculinity” and “Group Attractiveness”. “Masculinity”exhibited the highest Bridge Expected Influence (BEI), emerging as the central bridge node, and significant gender differences were observed in network characteristics. Regression analysis indicated that Agreeableness and Masculinity were the strongest predictors of team cohesion. In conclusion, the perceptions of personality traits, gender roles, and cohesion form a dynamic associative network in youth athletes, with masculinity and agreeableness serving as central nodes and the closest indicators of team cohesion. This study provides theoretical insights into the mechanisms influencing team cohesion and suggests that fostering masculine traits and agreeableness could be a focus for interventions aimed at enhancing team cohesion and psychological well‑being in this population. These associative and exploratory findings warrant further verification through causal research.