Have you ever noticed how some children love to run around the playground, while others hang back on the sidelines? Researchers are increasingly finding that a child’s confidence in how they move—known as “physical self-efficacy”—may be one of the key reasons behind this difference. Our recent study published in Human Movement Science explored how a child’s actual movement skills (like running, jumping, throwing) and how capable they believe they are (perceived movement skill competence) both influence their overall physical activity levels.
What Did the Study Look At?
A total of 860 children, around 11 years old on average, took part in the research. They were tested on:
Actual Movement Skills – Did they have the coordination and ability to perform basic movements like hopping, skipping, and catching effectively?
Perceived Movement Skill Competence – How good did they think they were at these skills?
Physical Self-Efficacy – This is basically the belief that you can be active and succeed in physical challenges.
Physical Activity Levels – How often and how vigorously were these children actually moving around in sports, games, or free play?
The scientists wanted to see if physical self-efficacy (that self-belief in one’s physical abilities) acted as a bridge between a child’s movement competence (both actual skill and perceived skill) and how physically active they were.
The Big Finding: Confidence Counts
The study revealed that physical self-efficacy indeed mediates (or explains) the relationship between movement competence and physical activity. In simpler terms:
The better children were at fundamental movements—and the more they believed they were good at them—the higher their levels of physical self-efficacy.
This physical self-efficacy then led to greater overall physical activity.
Interestingly, feeling good about their skills (“I can do this!”) had a stronger indirect effect on physical activity than just being able to perform the skills themselves. So a child’s belief in their abilities might matter even more than the actual skill level, at least when it comes to motivating them to get moving.
Why It Matters
Encouraging Play and Practice
Children who think they aren’t good at running or catching tend to avoid those activities, missing out on the chance to practice and improve. Without improvement, they remain stuck in a cycle of low confidence and low participation.
Building Self-Belief Early
If we help children believe in their abilities—by celebrating small victories, offering supportive feedback, and providing fun learning experiences—they become more likely to stay active.
Future Health
Active kids are generally healthier, both physically and mentally. By focusing on building competence and confidence, we might set them on a path for lifelong healthy habits.
Turning Research into Action
Here are some practical takeaways for parents, teachers, and coaches:
Start with the Basics
Focus on fundamental skills—like hopping, skipping, catching, and throwing—before jumping into complex sports drills. Mastering these basics can foster a strong sense of confidence.
Positive Feedback
Praising effort and progress (rather than just natural talent) helps children feel more in control of their skill development. When they believe they can improve, they’ll try harder and enjoy the process more.
Inclusive Activities
Not every child wants to be a football star or a gymnast. Offer a variety of activities—dance, martial arts, playground games—so every child can find something they feel good about and want to keep doing.
Use Tools Like MoveAhead
Innovative platforms like MoveAhead use camera-based motion tracking to measure and encourage movement skills in real time. These tools can be a fun way for children to track their progress, see their improvements, and boost their self-belief along the way.
The Bottom Line
Feeling confident about movement may be just as crucial for kids’ physical activity as having the actual skill. By creating supportive, skill-building experiences and celebrating small victories, we can help children believe in themselves—and, in turn, inspire them to stay active and healthy for years to come.
ReferencePeers, C., Issartel, J., Behan, S., O’Connor, N., & Belton, S. (2020). Movement competence: Association with physical self-efficacy and physical activity. Human Movement Science, 70(102582).
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