Relationship of Perceived and Actual Motor Competence in Children

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between children's actual and perceived motor competence. 280 children between the ages of 10 and 13 years individually completed the Children's Physical Self-perception Profile which assesses perceptions of sport competence, physical conditioning, strength, body attractiveness, and general physical self-worth. The internal reliabilities (a) of the subscales ranged from .75 to .82. After completing the profile, the subject's actual motor competence was measured using tests of aerobic fitness and functional strength. Body fatness (sum of five skinfolds) was measured as an objective measure of perceived body attractiveness. Analysis of variance showed that boys and girls differed in perceived competence and actual motor competence. The boys showed higher perceived competence on four scores, but there was no sex difference in perception of body attractiveness. Correlations and regression analysis showed that actual and perceived motor competence were significantly but only moderately (r =.25-.56) correlated. In addition, items of perceived physical competence and age accounted for 17% (sit-ups) to 25% (endurance shuttle run) of the variance in actual motor competence of the children. These findings showed that 10- to 13-yr-old children can only moderately assess personal motor competence.

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