Efficacy beliefs and motivational dynamics in early-season collegiate swimming relays.

This study investigated how efficacy beliefs and perceived indispensability influence individual effort changes in early-season collegiate swimming relays, focusing on swimmers' relative strength (fastest vs. slowest) and relay leg position (first vs. last). Analyzing data from 199 NCAA Division II and III swimmers across 260 relay cases, results showed that the slowest relay members swam closer to their lifetime best individual times than faster teammates, who tended to perform further from their best times. Other efficacy—confidence in teammates' abilities—moderately improved effort among the fastest swimmers, while perceived indispensability did not significantly moderate effort for either fastest or slowest swimmers. No significant effects were found for serial relay position on effort, suggesting that at early-season invitational meets, coaches should prioritize maximizing individual effort over relay order, recommending placing fastest swimmers first but avoiding positioning slowest swimmers first.