Relationship between actual motor competence and self-perception in adults

Abstract

Introduction: Scientific evidence indicates that perceived competence is associated with motor performance in children and adolescents; however, little is known about this phenomenon in the adult population. The aim of the present study was to examine the relationship between self-perception and performance of fundamental motor skills (FMS) in adults. Materials and Methods: A total of 119 adults (M = 19.8 ± 4.5 years) volunteered to participate in the study. The Self-Perception Profile for Adults (Messer & Harter, 2012) and the Test for Fundamental Motor Skills in Adults (Jiménez-Díaz et al., 2013) were used to evaluate self-perception and motor performance, respectively. Multivariate analysis of variance and canonical correlations were used to analyzed the data. Results and Discussion: The results showed that participants with efficient performance in locomotor skills had greater perceived competence in athletic abilities. In addition, men were found to have a more positive self-perception of their physical appearance than women. Also, it was found that perceived competence in athletic abilities is more related to FMS than it is to the dimensions of physical appearance and global self-worth. In conclusion, the level of performance of FMS is associated with perceived competence in athletic abilities in adults.