Using Rasch modeling to investigate the construct of motor competence in early childhood

Purpose: The present study investigated the dimensionality and homogeneity of motor competence, which is defined as the ability that underlies the performance of a wide variety of motor skills, in early childhood using a large set of items. Method: A total of 1467 children (aged 3-6 years) were measured with the Motor Proficiency Test for 4- to 6-Year-old Children (Motoriktest für vier-bis sechsjährige Kinder [MOT 4-6]), which consists of 17 items. Results: Analyses using the Partial Credit Model and mixed Rasch model revealed a one-dimensional structure (CR = 1.964, pCR = .06; P-χ2 = -.227, pp-χ2=.24). Due to unordered threshold parameters, five items were excluded. These items have a scoring system that counts the amount of successful trials (0-2). Conclusion: The study shows item and person homogeneity within a validated motor score, using 12 items of the MOT 4-6. Thus, it provides evidence of a single latent construct (i.e., motor competence), which underlies the performance of motor skills in early childhood. Furthermore, it shows that counting the number of successful trails may be less suitable as a scoring system in motor competence assessment. Present findings also support the use of validated composite scores in motor assessment

Validity and reliability of a pictorial scale of physical self-concept in spanish children. [Validez y fiabilidad de la escala pictográfica de autoconcepto físico en niños y niñas españoles].

The pictorial scale of Physical Self-Concept in Children (P-PSC-C) is a relatively new instrument for investigating physical self-concept in childhood. The current study aims to examine the validity and reliability of the Spanish version of the P-PSC-C, and also to analyse the validity according to the children’s age. A sample of 365 primary school age (M = 9.21, SD = 1.92) students participated; divided in two groups, those aged 9 or younger and those 10-11 years old. Surveys were used to assess perceived physical concept individually. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) with diagonally weighted least square estimator specifically designed for ordinal data and a scaled test statistic was conducted. Ordinal alpha using a polychoric correlation matrix and Kendall’s τ were used to analyse reliability and correlation between items, respectively. The results of the CFA showed a one-dimensional excellent fit for the whole sample. According to the age groups, the CFA revealed that the item assessing flexibility had a low factor loading for older children ( = .11). Weak invariance was shown for gender. Item statistics and reliability values were otherwise good. This study shows a high potential for the pictorial scale to be suitable for the given age groups in measuring physical self-concept. Resumen La escala pictográfica de Autoconcepto Físico en niños y niñas es un instrumento novedoso para investigar el autoconcepto físico en la niñez. Este estudio pretende analizar la validez y fiabilidad de la versión española de la escala pictográfica de Autoconcepto Físico en niños y niñas, también según su edad. En el estudio participó una muestra de 365 niños y niñas (M = 9.21, D.T. = 1.92) de centros educativos de infantil y primaria que fueron divididos en dos grupos, aquellos de 9 años o menores y los de 10-11 años. Se realizaron entrevistas individuales para medir el autoconcepto físico. Se aplicaron pruebas de análisis factorial confirmatorio (AFC) con estimaciones específicas ponderadas de mínimos cuadrados diseñado específicamente para datos ordinales. Para analizar la fiabilidad y correlación entre ítems, se utilizó una matriz policórica de correlación y la τ de Kendall, respectivamente. Los resultados del AFC para toda la muestra de estudio mostraron un ajuste unidimensional excelente. Respecto a la validez según los grupos de edad, los AFC mostraron que el ítem de flexibilidad tuvo una carga factorial baja e insuficiente en los niños de mayor edad ( = .11). Según el sexo, la invarianza fue débil. Los datos estadísticos de los ítems y la fiabilidad fueron buenos. Este estudio muestra un alto potencial para la utilización de la escala pictográfica para medir el autoconcepto físico en los grupos de edad analizados. La escala pictográfica de autoconcepto físico es relativamente nueva para estudiar el autoconcepto físico en la niñez

Using Rasch measurement to investigate the construct of motor competence in preschool children

Introduction: One of the most sensitive developmental periods is preschool age, where motor assessments help to describe motor development. The purpose of this study was to investigate the construct of motor competence, which is defined as the ability that underlies the performance of a wide variety of motor skills (Haga, Pedersen, & Sigmundsson, 2008). In motor tests, a composite score, built out of different motor skills (Burton & Rodgerson, 2001), often indicates this construct. Methods: Using the MOT 4-6 (Zimmer & Volkamer, 1987), data were collected in 1467 children (aged 3-6 years) in Flanders, Belgium. The MOT 4-6 is a frequently used test assessment in preschool and consists of 17 items (3-level categories). Results: Detailed analyses using the Partial Credit Model and mixed Rasch model revealed a one-dimensional structure (CR = 1.964, pCR = .06; P-χ² = -.227, pP-χ² = .24). Due to unordered threshold parameters, 5 items were excluded. These items have the same scoring system counting zero, one or more successful trials, which deviates from the other items. The remaining items attain the requirements of objective measurement provided by Rasch measurement and therefore can be accumulated to one composite score. Conclusion: The study shows item and person homogeneity within a validated composite score for the MOT 4-6, using 12 instead of 17 MOT 4-6 items. Thus, it provides evidence in terms of a single latent construct (i. e. motor competence), that underlies the performance of motor skills in preschool children. Furthermore, it shows that some scoring systems are less suitable in motor competence assessment

Sportliches Engagement und sozialer Rückhalt im Jugendalter: eine repräsentative Surveystudie in Brandenburg und Nordrhein-Westfalen

Tietjens M. Sportliches Engagement und sozialer Rückhalt im Jugendalter: eine repräsentative Surveystudie in Brandenburg und Nordrhein-Westfalen. Angewandte Psychologie ; 11. Lengerich: Pabst Science Publ.; 2001

Effekte sozialer und dimensionaler Vergleichsinformationen im Sport

The macroscopic behavior of polycrystalline materials is largely influenced by the shape, the arrangement and the orientation of crystallites. Different methods have thus been developed to determine the effective behavior of such materials as a function of their microstructural features. In this work, which focuses on polycrystalline materials with an elastic-viscoplastic behavior, the self-consistent, finite element and spectral methods are compared. These common methods are used to determine the effective behavior of \textit{different 316L polycrystalline aggregates} subjected to various loading conditions. Though no major difference is observed at the macroscopic scale, the hardening rate is found to be slightly overestimated with the finite element method. Indeed, spatial convergence cannot be guaranteed for finite element calculations, even when fine mesh resolutions, for which the computational cost is important, are used. Also, as the self-consistent method does not explicitly account for neighborhood effects, important discrepancies between the self-consistent method and the other methods exist regarding the mechanical response of a specific grain. The self-consistent method nevertheless provides a reasonable description of the average response obtained for a group of grains with identical features (e.g. shape, orientation)