Motor Competence in 11-Year-Old Boys and Girls

Abstract

By using the Movement Assessment Battery (MABC), the present study investigated possible gender differences in several tasks of motor competence in children. The sample included 67 Norwegian sixth-grade children (Girls N = 29; Boys = 39). Boys' performance exceeds that of girls in ball skills and in one of the balance skills. No differences were revealed between girls and boys in manual dexterity and in total score of MABC. The results may support the theory of task-specificity. Furthermore, they may challenge the school as an arena of physical activity for developing as appropriate motor skills as possible contributing to further engagement in physical activity.

Keywords:

• sex differences
• motor skills
• task specificity

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Vigdis Vedul-Kjelsås

Vigdis Vedul-Kjelsås, Faculty of Health Education and Social Work, Physiotherapy, Sør-Trøndelag University College, Trondheim, Norway

Ann-Katrin Stensdotter

Ann-Katrin Stensdotter, Faculty of Health Education and Social Work, Physiotherapy, Sør-Trøndelag University College, Trondheim, Norway

Hermundur Sigmundsson

Hermundur Sigmundsson, Department of Psychology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) and Faculty of Health Education and Social Work, Physiotherapy, Sør-Trøndelag University College, Trondheim, Norway.