Relationships among Actual Motor Competence, Perceived Motor Competence, and Health-Related Fitness in College-Aged Males.

Samantha Moss,Peter Mcginnis,Rick Ferkel,Erik Lind,Larissa True

doi:10.3390/sports8120158

Abstract

Actual motor competence (MC), perceived motor competence (PMC), and health-related fitness (HRF) exhibit a dynamic and reciprocal relationship in child populations, but little is known about the nature of these relationships in young adulthood. The purpose of the study was to assess these relationships in a sample of college-aged males. A total of 55 participants enrolled in an undergraduate Kinesiology course completed the study. Perceived motor competence (PMC) was assessed with the Physical Self-Perception Profile questionnaire; MC was assessed using maximum throw and kick speed and maximum jump distance; HRF was assessed with a two-minute push-up test, two-minute sit-up test, and the Multistage 20-m Shuttle Run Test. Pearson’s bivariate correlations were calculated to assess relationships among PMC total score, MC scores, and HRF scores. Two separate indices were calculated to create composite total MC and total HRF scores used for subsequent analyses. Significant correlations were found between PMC total score, MC index, and HRF index. Multiple linear regressions were used for analyzing predictive measures for HRF and PMC scores. From the two regression models, significance varied among total MC scores, PMC scores, and HRF individual measures. These findings may suggest that relationships among MC, HRF, and PMC strengthen over developmental time in young adult males.

Highlights

Many factors contribute to the capability of an individual to perform skilled movement.Motor competence (MC) is a global term that describes an individual’s level of ability to perform gross fundamental motor skills such as throwing, kicking, jumping, and running [1]
Results indicated that MC predicted 79% of the variance in health-related fitness (HRF) in young adults [25,26], which did lend credence to the notion that the relationship between MC and HRF will strengthen over developmental time; neither perceived motor competence (PMC) nor physical activity were examined in these studies
HRF scores and PMC total scores; and (2) We hypothesized that calculated HRF and MC indices would predict PMC scores

Summary

Introduction

Many factors contribute to the capability of an individual to perform skilled movement. Motor competence (MC) is a global term that describes an individual’s level of ability to perform gross fundamental motor skills such as throwing, kicking, jumping, and running [1]. MC has been studied fairly extensively in child populations in relation to perceived motor competence (PMC) and health-related fitness (HRF) [2,3,4,5,6]. PMC is defined as an individual’s subjective perception of their propensity for performing motor skills and physically-demanding activities [7]. HRF is the capacity of an individual to perform physical work, and is commonly classified in the domains of cardiovascular endurance, muscular endurance, muscular strength, body composition, and flexibility [8].

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