Peer-reviewed article
The interplay of actual and perceived motor competencies, physical activity and well-being: a child-centered approach
Kathrin Bretz, Johanna Kress, Christian Herrmann ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This study examined how children's actual motor skills, their perception of their own abilities, physical activity levels, and well-being are connected. Researchers assessed 427 Swiss children aged around 8 years using motor tests, self-perception questionnaires, and parent reports. The analysis identified three distinct groups: highly skilled team sport players with strong self-perception and good well-being; competent individual sport participants with similarly high well-being; and a concerning group with poor actual skills but inflated self-perception, low sports participation, and significantly lower well-being. The findings suggest that interventions should support both realistic self-assessment and increased physical activity participation to improve motor development and child well-being.
Key points
- Three distinct child profiles emerged based on motor competence, perceived competence, physical activity and well-being
- Profile 1 (highly competent team players): high actual and perceived motor competencies, high team sport participation, high well-being
- Profile 2 (competent self-movers): good motor competencies, individual sport preference, high well-being
- Profile 3 (low-participating overestimators): low actual motor competencies but high perceived competencies, low sports involvement, significantly lower well-being than other profiles
- Tailored interventions should address realistic self-assessment and sports participation, not just physical activity or motor skills alone
Limitations
This cross-sectional study cannot establish causality between the variables or determine whether low well-being precedes low physical activity or results from it. The study is limited to Switzerland and children around 8 years old, so findings may not generalise to other ages or cultural contexts.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Motor development models highlight the interplay between actual motor competence, perceived motor competence and physical activity in children. In studies, mental health parameters, such as well-being, are mostly considered as an outcome of PA or motor development, but they can also be the prerequisite for participation in PA. While variable centered studies have explored mostly correlations among these factors, there is a need to adopt person-centered approaches to identify distinct profiles based on these variables. Understanding these profiles can support targeted interventions to promote healthy motor development. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study involving n = 427 children (M = 7.78 years, SD = 0.70). Actual motor competence was assessed via motor competence test, perceived motor competence via self-perception and physical activity and well-being via parent questionnaires. Latent profile analysis was conducted to identify distinct profiles based on the characteristics of the investigated constructs. RESULTS: Latent profile analysis revealed three distinct profiles. Highly competent team players (profile 1), who were characterized by high actual and perceived motor competencies in “object movement”, high participation in team sports and high well-being scores. Competent self-movers (profile 2), who exhibited good actual and perceived motor competencies, engaged primarily in individual sports and high well-being. Low-participating overestimators (profile 3), who demonstrated low actual motor competencies but high perceived motor competencies with an overestimation of their competencies, low involvement in organized sports and significant lower well-being compared to the other profiles. CONCLUSION: This study identifies distinct profiles in children’s motor development parameters, emphasizing the complex interplay between actual motor competencies, perceived motor competencies, physical activity and well-being. The presence of a profile with low actual motor competencies, physical activity and well-being indicates that a certain level of these factors may be necessary for active motor development. Tailored interventions should not only address physical activity or actual motor competencies but also encourage positive-realistic self-assessment and increased participation in physical activity, especially organized sports, to enhance both motor development and well-being.