Australian David Rock proposed the SCARF Model as an explanation of 'survival instinct' (approach-avoid) of social behavior. It has possible applications during selection and maintenance of teams.
First, SCARF is an acronym for status, certainty, autonomy, relatedness, and fairness. We want to create a system of optimal function. Threats (e.g. tough defense, presses) activate the amygdala and alter body chemistry, releasing cortisol and catecholamines (adrenaline). This raises blood pressure, heart rate, breathing rate, and decreases our field of view (tunnel vision). Players literally may not see help defenders or even the help. Threats decrease creativity.
Status is how we are perceived relative to others. We can enhance our status by improving our play but we can lose status via poor individual or team performance. Loss of status creates psychic pain, which can extend beyond the individual. Among primates "status equals survival: higher status monkeys have lower baseline cortisol levels, live longer and are healthier." Wagner Dodge saved himself but not his team during the Mann Gulch fire by setting a back fire literally at his feet. His team hadn't come together to trust his leadership at that point and mostly perished.
Certainty is our view of the future. Uncertainty about our job (safety, position, minutes, compensation) also creates stress. Change means uncertainty, and often "push back" because we dislike deviations from certainty. Change produces discomfort. "Another key tool involves establishing clear expectations of what might happen in any situation, as well as expectations of desirable outcomes."
Autonomy equals control. We want control of our situation. People who view superiors as overly burdensome "control freaks" feel stressed and productivity can suffer. Soliciting input from workers is a means to return some control to workers. Successful coaches have their finger on the pulse of the team. Bobby Knight ceded control of practice times and other functions to allow players more control. A Navy commander took his ship from the bottom to the top ranking by more delegation. He asked his crew, “What would you do? It’s your ship!”
Relatedness initially meant friend or foe. Amidst teams, "tribal behavior" (see Phil Jackson) yields dividends. Oxytocin is a pituitary hormone released during collaboration. Cliques or factions within teams disrupt the relatedness function. The Navy SEALs use a buddy system. "Two are one and one is none." Teams like the Ohio State football team have a strong sense of position group identity, as described in Urban Meyer's Above the Line. He calls this "Nine Units Strong." Here's a great summary.
Fairness. Fairness is deeply embedded among primates. Games where a monkey is given a less desirable reward (e.g. cucumber slice versus grape) create hostile behavior. "People who perceive others as unfair don’t feel empathy for their pain, and in some instances, will feel rewarded when unfair others are punished."
We don't need a granular understanding of neuroanatomy and physiology to understand coaching psychology. But we see coaches who are tone deaf to these domains and 'lose' their teams. Master coaches master psychology.
For those more interested in the details of "neuroleadership", here is a slide presentation below.
