RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN REAL AND PERCEIVED MOTOR COMPETENCE, PARENTAL FACTORS AND CHILD TYPE OF PLAY IN PRE-SCHOOLERS

Abstract

The childhood period is considered the most critical to motor competence (MC) development, being that good motor performances in children are related to better cognitive, linguistics, social, emotional results, high levels of physical activity, and MC perception in adolescence. Several variables play a fundamental role in MC development in the first years of life, with strong evidence that children’s MC could be influenced by the interaction between their temperament and the family environment characteristics. Theoretical models suggest that parent’s beliefs and cognitions influence their parental practices, which, in turn, impact their children’s development throughout life. In fact, parental factors (such as parental stress, styles, expectations and alliance) and children type of play have been studied individually regarding their influence in the psychological, cognitive and linguistic development. However, research has given little attention to the relationship between these variables and real and perceived MC of children in preschool age, as studies have mainly focused on variables related to intrinsic aspects of the child. In this sense, emerged the need to understand this relationship, being in progress a Doctoral Thesis project. In the present work, a theoretical framework is developed and future lines of investigation are suggested. Key words