Perceived movement skill competence in stability: Validity and reliability of a pictorial scale in early adolescents

Abstract

Perceived motor competence (PMC) is important to health as it mediates the association between actual motor competence (AMC) and physical activity. Many instruments assess the broader construct of physical self‐perception but no scale has been developed to assess PMC in stability. The aim of this study was to develop and analyze the reliability and validity of a new pictorial PMC in stability skill assessment when completed by early adolescents. A Delphi method showed ≥70% of experts’ consensus in the seven proposed items. A sample of 904 students (11‐14 years old) self‐reported PMC in locomotion, object control, and stability using two pictorial scales: Perceived Movement Skill Competence (PMSC) and the newly developed Stability (PMSC_Stability). The Körperkoordinations test for Kinder (KTK) was also administered as a measure of AMC in skills that utilize stability. Two different subsamples were randomly assigned to criterion validity and reliability assessments. Spearman's correlation, confirmatory factor analysis, and a general linear model for sex and age were conducted. The internal consistency (α) and test‐retest (intraclass correlation coefficient) reliability values were good (>0.70). A single‐factor latent model represented stability and did not differ by sex. Stability perception was associated with AMC (rho = 0.51). Stability is important to the performance of many movement skills (eg, single‐leg balance or moving on a narrow surface). Understanding which adolescents have poor stability perception could highlight stability as an area that needs targeting in order to increase physical activity and sport participation.

Parental and Peer Support Matters: A Broad Umbrella of the Role of Perceived Social Support in the Association between Children’s Perceived Motor Competence and Physical Activity

“…The PMSC assesses children’s perception of their MC in thirteen pictographic tasks (run, gallop, hop, jump, step, slide and skip, throw upper arm, catch, kick, hit, bounce, throw underarm, and racket). Children’s perception in each skill was rated from 1 (lower perception) to 4 (higher perception) as per protocol by using a double dichotomy process in a personal interview (8–10-year-old students) and supervised collective questionnaire session (11–12-year-old students) conducted by a research assistant following previous procedures [ 15 , 43 , 44 ], characterized by independent self-report without the possibility of peers’ influence as participants were not allowed to express their responses out loud. PMSC total score ranges between 13 and 52, with higher scores meaning a higher perceived MC [ 45 ].…”

A Classroom-Based Intervention to Promote Physical Literacy in Children: ALPHYL Study Protocol

“…The body mass index (BMI) will be calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in square metres (kg/m 2 ) and determined according to the children's sex and age [49]. The pupils will be given a questionnaire in a classroom setting with different measures, including perceived motor competence [39,40] and physical literacy [38], motivation [41,42], perceived social support [43,44], active commuting to school [48], PA participation [42,51], alienation with school [52], future PA intention [43], psychological needs satisfaction [41], perceived body image [53], physical self-concept [54], sedentary behaviour [56], school satisfaction [57], social identity [58], knowledge related to PA and healthy lifestyles [41,59] and the measurement of math fluency calculation [60]. Two cognitive function tests, Stroop and digit-span tests [47], will be carried out individually, while academic achievement will be obtained from the final grade scores [45,46].…”