Perceived and Actual Motor Competence: Cross-Sectional Associations Across Childhood

Background/Purpose: Motor competence (MC) and perceived motor competence (PMC) are hypothesized to be both transactional and developmentally related (Stodden et al., 2008). In addition, the strength of the associations between MC and PMC are hypothesized to increase across developmental time.  This study examined associations between MC and PMC in children from three age bands (4-5 yrs, 7-8 yrs and 10-11yrs).

Method: Subjects (N=382) were grouped into: 4-5, 7-8, and 10-11 year-old age bands.  The perceived physical/athletic competence subscales of the Pictorial Scales of Perceived Competence and Social Acceptance determined PMC. Children’s motor competence were assessed using the Test of Gross Motor Development-2 (TGMD-2).

Analysis/Results: Pearson’s bivariate correlations were calculated to assess the strength of associations between PMC and locomotor and object control  subscales separately.  A p of .05 was implemented to determine statistical significance.Correlations between the locomotor subscale standard score and PMC increased across the first two age groups (4-5, r=.177 [p = .037*]; 7-8, r=.247 [p = .005*]), but leveled off in the final group (10-11, r=.238 [p = .005*]). Correlations between object control standard scores and PMC increased across each age band (4-5, r=.074 [p = .390]; 7-8, r=.133 [p = .131]; 10-11 r=.364 [p <.001*]). 

Conclusions: These data partially support the hypotheses of Stodden et al. (2008) in that the relationship between object control skill and PMC increased across age group.  However, the relationship between locomotor skill and PMC increased from 4-5 to 7-8 but leveled off at 10-11. These findings compliment those of Barnett et al (2009) who found object control skill predicted physical activity in adolescence, while locomotor skill did not. These results help to provide an evidence base for the conceptual model developed by Stodden et al. (2008) that hypothesized strength of associations between MC and PMC would increase across childhood and that PMC would mediate the relationship between MC and physical activity.  If locomotor skill is more commonly associated with physical activity levels in childhood (Williams et al., 2008) and object control skill demonstrates a stronger relationship both PMC and physical activity levels  in late childhood into adolescence (Barnett et al., 2009), it is imperative that children develop both OC and LC skills to promote positive trajectories of physical activity.