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Gender And Motor Competence Affects Perceived Likelihood And Importance Of Physical Activity Outcomes Among 14 Year Olds, Beth Hands, Helen Parker, Elizabeth Rose, Dawn Larkin

Health Sciences Papers and Journal Articles

Little is understood about the impact of level of motor competence on self-perceptions in adolescence, in particular how this may differentially affect girls and boys. A sample of 1,568 14-year-old participants (766 girls and 802 boys) were grouped into four motor competence levels (very low to high) based on the McCarron Assessment of Neuromuscular Development (MAND). Self-perceptions were assessed using the Self-Perception Profile for Adolescents. Boys had higher self-perceptions of global self-worth, athletic competence, and physical appearance, whereas girls had higher scores for close friendships and behavioral conduct. Main effects in the predicted direction were found for motor competence for …