Significance: Perceived motor competence is related to physical activity engagement in children and adolescents (Sallis, Prochaska, and Taylor, 2000). Self-determination theory (Deci & Ryan, 1985) has been used to better understand why individuals participate in physical activity. This approach focuses on the psychological needs and motivational orientation of an individual, thus allowing for examination of the effects of self-determination on behavior. To date, it remains unclear if a child's perceptions of motor competence are accurate. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between the perceived and actual motor competence in children from a summer activity program.
Design: Once informed consent was secured, 51 children (Mage=9.2, SD=1.20)(34 males) were asked to complete a 10-question perceived motor competence questionnaire using a 7-foil Likert scale (Deci & Ryan, 1985), a 3-day physical activity recall (Weston et al., 2004), and three motor performance assessments. The motor assessments were selected from the South Carolina Physical Education Assessment Program (SCPEAP) and are considered valid and reliable measures of motor competence in children for basketball, throwing, and paddle activities (SCPEAP, 2001). Children were given instruction in the motor content of the assessments for at least 4 days, then familiarized and allowed to practice the assessments. Video data of motor competence were reduced using scoring rubrics with an inter-rater reliability of .86. A factor analysis confirmed that all motor criteria contributed to the overall assessment. Pearson moment product correlations and an ANOVA were used for further analysis.
Results: There was a significant relationship (r=.38, p<.01) between perceived and actual motor competence, as children in this population had a moderate understanding of their own abilities. Children were most accurate in the identification of their abilities using paddles (r=.57, p <.01) and throwing (r=.38, p<.01). However, with basketball some children were overconfident and overestimated their actual abilities. Actual motor competence (r=.39, p<.01) as well as perceived motor competence (r=.37, p <.01) were significantly related to self-reported physical activity. There were no significant gender or ethnic differences in either perceived or actual motor competence (p>.01). Findings from this study suggest that children are aware of their motor abilities. Motor competence should continue to be a focal point of instruction within this population because it can physiologically and psychologically contribute to physical activity engagement.