Are gender-stereotyped attitudes and beliefs in fathers and daughters associated with girls’ perceived motor competence?

ABSTRACT

Background:

Children can internalise social and parental gender stereotypes and this may influence their perceived motor competence (PMC). This study aimed to examine the association between father and daughter gender-stereotyped attitudes/beliefs and girls’ PMC.

Methods:

Girls (N = 68, M_age= 8.9 years, SD = 1.7) and their fathers were recruited at baseline from a physical activity intervention. Girls’ PMC was assessed using the pictorial scale of Perceived Movement Skill Competence. Gender-stereotyped attitudes/beliefs of girls and fathers were assessed using the Occupation, Activity, and Trait – Attitude/Personal instrument. The girls’ questions were interviewer administered to ensure comprehension, whilst fathers completed an online survey. Correlations were calculated, followed by linear regressions adjusted for girls’ age and fathers’ education. Regression models were used to investigate associations between father-daughter gender-stereotyped attitudes/beliefs, and whether these attitudes/beliefs were associated with girls’ perceptions of their object control/locomotor, active play, and overall skill competence.

Results:

Girls’ gender-stereotyped attitudes negatively correlated with overall PMC, r(60) =  –.36, p = .004, and object control perception, r(60) =  –.36, p = .004. These associations remained evident in linear regression analysis. No other associations were found.

Conclusions:

Girls with more gender-stereotyped attitudes have lower motor skill perceptions, which may impact negatively on physical activity and sport participation. Future interventions aimed at reducing sociocultural gender stereotypes in children may improve girls’ motor skill perception and positively impact physical activity.

KEYWORDS:

• Girls’ physical activity
• perceived motor competence
• perceived fundamental motor skills
• social norms
• psychosocial correlates

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Authors’ contributions

IMD contributed to study design and research question development, collected and analysed the data, wrote the first complete manuscript draft and contributed to subsequent drafts; EM contributed to study design and research question development, analysed the data, wrote methods and results and contributed to subsequent drafts; LH contributed to study design research question development and execution and manuscript drafts; PM and MDY coordinated the larger study this sample is derived from and contributed to thoughts around study design and manuscript drafts; JG and SLK recruited participants, collected data and contributed to manuscript draft; ERP recruited participants and contributed to manuscript drafts; LMB conceived of the research questions and concept and supervised the study design, analysis and writing.