Abstract
In this article, the psychometric properties of a new test battery aimed at quantifying motor competence across the life span are explored. The battery was designed to be quantitative, simple to administer, applicable for large-group testing, and reliably to monitor life span motor development. A total of 638 participants between 5 and 83 years of age completed assessment of four different motor tasks (two fine and two gross motor tasks), enabling us to investigate its feasibility, internal consistency, construct validity, and test–retest reliability. Feasibility: Overall pattern of results suggest that the test battery for motor competence presented here is applicable for the age-span studied (5-83). Important consideration in this regard is that the same tasks are applied for all ages. A u-shaped curve between age and total test score indicate the adequate sensitivity of the test battery for the age range examined. Internal consistency: All individual test item scores correlated positively with the total test score with correlations ranging from .48 to .64. Correlations between scores on individual test items were moderate to high (.31-.69). The Cronbach’s alpha value for the standardized items was .79. Construct validity: Pearson correlation coefficient between total score Test of Motor Competence (TMC) and Movement Assessment Battery for Children (MABC) were .47 for 7- to 8-years-old children ( n = 70) and .45 for 15- to 16-years-old ( n = 101). Test-retest reliability: Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) between test and retest scores ranged from .75 to .94, and test–retest coefficient for the total score was .87.
Highlights
The life span approach to development provides a theoretical framework to examine the general principles of development across all ages (Baltes, Lindenberger, & Staudinger, 2006; Craik & Bialystok, 2006)
We examined aspects of reliability and validity of a new test battery for assessment of life span motor competence
We found that the correlation coefficient between total score from Test of Motor Competence (TMC) and the total score from Movement Assessment Battery for Children (MABC) to be .47 for 7- to 8-years-old children, and .45 for 15- to 16-years-old
Summary
The life span approach to development provides a theoretical framework to examine the general principles of development across all ages (Baltes, Lindenberger, & Staudinger, 2006; Craik & Bialystok, 2006). Developmental research has typically either focused on changes in early development (e.g., infancy or childhood) or on aspects of the aging process (Craik & Bialystok, 2006). One aspect of increasing the understanding of life span developmental processes is further methodological development of adequate assessment tools that are designed to measure individuals throughout the whole life-course (Leversen, Haga, & Sigmundsson, 2012). Research on motor development has been of great significance for our knowledge of general principles of human development (Thelen, 2000). Bearing this in mind, designing assessment tools that enable longitudinal
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