儿童精细动作能力的发展及与其学业成绩的关系

研究了不同精细动作能力的发展、之间的内在联系及其与儿童学业成绩的关系。被试为151名4－8岁儿童以及30名本科生。精细动作能力的测查包括线条填画任务、图形临摹任务以及筷子技能测验。结果发现：（1）不同精细动作能力的发展速度从高到低依次为线条填画能力、图形临摹能力和筷子使用技能;（2）筷子使用技能与线条填画、图形临摹能力都显著相关,线条填画能力和年龄对筷子使用技能具有显著预测作用;（3）不同学业成绩儿童在各类精细动作能力上都存在显著差异。本研究说明,较基本的精细动作能力是复杂工具性技能发展的基础,同时在小学低年级阶段,儿童的精细动作能力与其学习活动之间存在密切联系。     

3—7岁儿童与成人筷子使用动作模式的比较研究

通过比较3—7岁儿童与成人的筷子使用动作模式类型、特征和使用率,初步探讨了筷子使用动作模式的特点及发展趋势。研究结果表明：(1)儿童与成人中均存在八种筷子使用动作模式,各种模式在手指的分工、配合及完成任务的稳定性、适应性等方面表现出不同的特点,具有不同的效率水平;(2)随年龄的增长,个体筷子使用动作模式日趋转向效率较高的类型,表现为高效模式的使用率从3岁组的3．7％增加到成人组的50％,而低效模式的使用率从59．3％下降到10％。     

儿童早期的动作发展对认知发展的作用

早期儿童与环境的相互作用通过动作来完成。儿童在与环境的相互作用过程中动作得到发展,与此同时也促进了认知发展。该文主要介绍了国内外的一些研究成果,阐述了爬行和手部动作对儿童认知发展的作用。发现儿童早期动作的发展是认知发展的外在表现,同时早期动作的发展也将促使儿童的认知发展不断高级化、复杂化。儿童通过爬行获得了运动经验,促进了感知觉的发展;而手部动作主要包括抓握动作和手势的发展,在儿童与环境的相互作用过程中则主要发挥着重要的中介作用。     

幼儿能力判断发展特点研究

本研究以62名3~6岁儿童为被试,考察了幼儿在不同任务中对自身和他人能力判断的发展特点。结果表明:(1)幼儿对自身或他人能力判断的准确性随着年龄的增长而提高;(2)幼儿对他人能力判断并不比对自身能力判断更准确,随着年龄的增长,幼儿开始对自身能力做出更加积极的判断;(3)幼儿能够明确区分愿望与预期,不过当幼儿对自身能力进行判断时这种区分不容易显现出来。     

儿童社会观点采择的发展及其子类型间的差异的研究

对幼儿园大班至小学阶段的４２５名儿童施以认知和情感两类观点采择测验,考察儿童社会观点采择发展的一般趋势以及两类观点采择的发展趋势及水平上的差异。结果发现：６岁左右儿童在准确推断他人观点方面还存在较大困难。６—１０岁左右是儿童社会观点采择能力快速发展的时期。１０岁左右儿童已能根据环境信息较准确推断他人的观点：儿童认知观点采择与情感观点采择能力的发展趋势基本一致,但后者的发展水平极显著地落后于前者。     

短时动作记忆的容量和精确度与动作学习的关系

该研究采用实验室实验法,被试自我报告分析及调查访问法,以三个年龄（１０岁、１４岁、１８岁）组学生及专项运动员为实验对象,揭示短时动作记忆的容量和精确度及其与动作学习指数的关系。结果表明：（１）被试的短时动作记忆容量为“５±２”,短时动作记忆的容量与动作学习的练习次数相联系;短时动作记忆的精确度与第一次动作练习的准确度相联系。（２）短时动作记忆的容量有随年龄增长而递增的趋势。（３）运动员与非运动员被试对于同类动作学习的练习次数存在显著性差异。     

短时动作记忆的容量和精确度与动作学习的关系

该研究采用实验室实验法,被试自我报告分析及调查访问法,以三个年龄（１０岁、１４岁、１８岁）组学生及专项运动员为实验对象,揭示短时动作记忆的容量和精确度及其与动作学习指数的关系。结果表明：（１）被试的短时动作记忆容量为“５±２”,短时动作记忆的容量与动作学习的练习次数相联系;短时动作记忆的精确度与第一次动作练习的准确度相联系。（２）短时动作记忆的容量有随年龄增长而递增的趋势。（３）运动员与非运动员被试对于同类动作学习的练习次数存在显著性差异。     

ADHD儿童与正常儿童在视觉—动作方面的比较研究

10岁到13岁男性ADHD儿童在镶嵌图形、眼手协调、视力追踪和数字划销等视觉—动作实验上的分数显著低于同一年龄段的男性正常儿童,显示ADHD儿童的视觉—动作能力比正常儿童差.ADHD儿童与正常儿童相比,知觉方式的场独立性较弱,心理机能分化程度较低.ADHD儿童在长度估计实验上没有发现异常.     

工作记忆中有意抑制能力的发展研究

使用Reed设计的有意遗忘研究范式,以194名小学二、三、四、五年级学生和大学生为被试,考察不同年龄阶段被试工作记忆中有意抑制能力的差异,探索抑制机制随年龄增长的发展趋势及儿童工作记忆中有意抑制能力发展的敏感期。结果表明：1）大学生被试和儿童被试之间的有意抑制能力存在显著性差异;2）随年龄的增长,工作记忆中有意抑制能力呈递增趋势;3）儿童的有意抑制能力发展在三年级,9、10岁可能存在一个敏感期。     

弱智儿童视觉-动作控制的实验研究

该研究探讨了弱智儿童视觉-动作控制能力。弱智儿童被试30人,平均年龄13.5岁,平均智商53.9。实验结果与正常人的结果作了比较。结果显示,弱智儿童的视觉-动作控制能力只相当五六岁正常儿童的水平,远落后于正常中青年及老年的水平。这表明,智力缺陷与发展水平对人的视觉-动作控制能力有明显影响。     

Physical activity,motor ability,and school readiness of 6-yr.-old children

The aim of this investigation was to study the relationships between physical activity, motor ability, and school readiness in 6-yr.-old children. In total, 294 healthy children from Tartu were studied (161 boys and 133 girls). The physical activity of children was reported by parents and teachers using the questionnaire of Harro. The motor ability of children was evaluated using various tests from the Eurofit test battery as well as the 3-min. endurance shuttle run test. The Controlled Drawing Observation rest was used as a predictor of school readiness and development of mental abilities. Indoor physical activities predicted 19-25% of total variance in motor scores for these preschool children. Motor ability tests, which demand children's total attention and concentration, appear related to the chosen measures of school readiness.     

Balance,Proprioception, and Gross Motor Development of Chinese Children Aged 3 to 6 Years

The authors' aim was to find the features of balance, proprioception, and gross motor development of Chinese children 3–6 years old and their correlations, provide theoretical support for promoting children's motor development, and enrich the world theoretical system of motor development. This study used a Tekscan foot pressure measurement instrument (Tekscan, Inc., Boston, MA), walking on a balance beam, Xsens 3-dimensional positional measuring system (Xsens Technologies, Enschede, the Netherlands), and Test of Gross Motor Development-2 to assess static balance, dynamic balance, knee proprioception, and levels of gross motor development (GMD) of 3- to 6-year-old children (n = 60) in Beijing. The results are as follows: children had significant age differences in static balance, dynamic balance, proprioception, and levels of GMD; children had significant gender differences in static balance, proprioception, and levels of GMD; children's static balance, dynamic balance, and proprioception had a very significant positive correlation with GMD (p < .01), but no significant correlation with body mass index.     

Fine motor skill proficiency in typically developing children: On or off the maturation track?

Fine motor skill proficiency is an essential component of numerous daily living activities such as dressing, feeding or playing. Poor fine motor skills can lead to difficulties in academic achievement, increased anxiety and poor self-esteem. Recent findings have shown that children’s gross motor skill proficiency tends to fall below established developmental norms. A question remains: do fine motor skill proficiency levels also fall below developmental norms? The aim of this study was to examine the current level of fine motor skill in Irish children. Children (N = 253) from 2nd, 4th and 6th grades (mean age = 7.12, 9.11 and 11.02 respectively) completed the Fine Motor Composite of the Bruininks Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency 2nd Edition (BOT-2). Analysis revealed that only 2nd grade children met the expected level of fine motor skill proficiency. It was also found that despite children’s raw scores improving with age, children’s fine motor skill proficiency was not progressing at the expected rate given by normative data. This leads us to question the role and impact of modern society on fine motor skills development over the past number of decades.     

New measure o f perceived motorcompetence for children ages 4 to 6 years

The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a test for the assessment of perceived motor competence in young children ages 4 to 6 years old. The structure of the Children's Perception of Motor Competence Scale was analyzed through exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis with 495 children between 4 and 6 years of age. A second-order model was selected and consisted of one scale of Perceived General Motor Competence and two subscales, Perceived Gross Motor Competence and Perceived Fine Motor Competence. The number of items was 22. This test showed acceptable internal reliability: global scale (alpha = .81), Perceived Gross Motor Competence (alpha = .80), and Perceived Fine Motor Competence (alpha = .65). Children manifested accuracy in the assessment of the competence. Perceived motor competence was related to actual motor competence as measured by the Movement ABC Test and by an observational scale used by Physical Education teachers. There were no sex differences. The Children's Perception of Motor Competence Scale could be considered an interesting assessment test for identifying current self-perceptions of motor competence in young children.     

Association Between Body Mass Index and Motor Competence in Santal Children of Purulia District,India

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between body mass index and motor competence in Santal children 5–12 years old. A total of 816 Santal children were studied. Children's adiposity status was assessed by body mass index (BMI) for age z-score based on World Health Organization reference data. Motor competence was measured using the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Competence (BOT-2). There was no significant difference in mean BMI z-score between Santal boys (0.13 ± 0.07) and girls (?0.14 ± 0.07). Healthy weight (HW) children scored higher (p < .05) in some individual motor subtests (bilateral competence, balance, running speed and agility, upper limb competence, and strength) and in total BOT-2 score (p < .05) compared with scores for underweight (UW) and overweight (OW) children. Nonlinear regression analysis showed that BMI is a significant independent predictor of motor competence (p < .01). Motor competence showed a curvilinear relationship with BMI-z-score, with the lowest point motor scores in strength and upper limb competence (p < .05) for both UW and OW children compared to HW children who scored highest. The results also indicated that gross motor skills, but not fine motor skills, were poorer among children who were UW or OW compared with HW children.     

Anxiety disorders in 8–11‐year‐old children: Motor skill performance and self‐perception of competence

Ekornås, B., Lundervold, A. J., Tjus, T. & Heimann, M. (2010). Anxiety disorders in 8–11‐year‐old children: Motor skill performance and self‐perception of competence. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 51, 271–277. This study investigates motor skill performance and self‐perceived competence in children with anxiety disorders compared with children without psychiatric disorders. Motor skills and self‐perception were assessed in 329 children aged 8 to 11 years, from the Bergen Child Study. The Kiddie‐SADS PL diagnostic interview was employed to define a group of children with an anxiety disorder without comorbid diagnosis, and a control group (no diagnosis) matched according to gender, age, and full‐scale IQ. Children in the anxiety disorder group displayed impaired motor skills and poor self‐perceived peer acceptance and physical competence compared with the control group. Two‐thirds of the anxious boys scored on the Motor Assessment Battery for Children (MABC) as having motor problems. The present study demonstrated impaired motor skills in boys with “pure” anxiety disorders. Anxious children also perceived themselves as being less accepted by peers and less competent in physical activities compared with children in the control group.     

The reliability and predictive ability of the Test of Infant Motor Performance (TIMP) in a community-based study in Bhaktapur,Nepal

AimIn a Nepalese setting, to measure the reliability of the Test of Infant Motor Performance (TIMP) and its ability to predict development scores at 6 months.MethodsNepalese infants (n = 705) were assessed by the TIMP when they were 8–12 weeks old and the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, 3rd edition (Bayley-III) at 6 months. Inter-rater agreement was expressed by intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs), the internal consistency by Cronbach’s alphas and Pearson correlation coefficients. Predictive ability was estimated in linear regression models.ResultsInter-rater agreement was excellent (ICCs > 0.93). Alphas for the TIMP total scores were 0.76 for infants born to term and 0.72 in those born preterm. Correlation coefficients between TIMP total and Bayley-III subscale-scores ranged from 0.05 to 0.28 for term infants and from 0.15 to 0.43 for preterm infants. Using American norms, 56.3 % had TIMP scores within average and 43.7 % below average range. Bayley-III subscale scores were lower in children with TIMP scores below the average range, with the strongest estimates for Gross motor and Socio-emotional development.InterpretationThe reliability of the TIMP was acceptable, and the TIMP could be a feasible tool to monitor infant motor development in low-resource settings. Properties of the TIMP differed according to gestational age.     

Motor development during the first 6 months: the case of Brazilian infants

This investigation documents the pattern of motor development of Brazilian infants over the first 6 months and compares the findings with a US norm. Infants were assessed once each month for the 6‐month period using the Bayley II Motor Scale, which represented the US norm for comparison. Participants monthly scores increased with age and were similar to the US profile. However, the Brazilian infants did exhibit mean scores significantly lower than their counterparts on tasks of sitting and grasping in the 3rd, 4th, and 5th month; at the 6th month, scores were comparable. Explanations for differences focus on possible cross‐cultural and maturational influences. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Infant motor skill predicts later expressive language and autism spectrum disorder diagnosis

Motor difficulties may be an early Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) risk indicator and may predict subsequent expressive language skills. Further understanding of motor functioning in the first year of life in children with ASD is needed. We examined motor skills in 6-month-olds (n = 140) at high and low familial risk for ASD using the Peabody Developmental Motor Scales (Grasping, Visual-Motor Integration, and Stationary subscales). In Study 1, motor skill at 6 months predicted ASD status at 24–36 months; ASD was associated with poorer infant motor skills. In Study 2, motor skill at 6 months predicted expressive language at 30 and 36 months. Findings provide evidence that vulnerability in motor function early in development is present in ASD. Findings highlight the importance of developmental monitoring in high-risk infants and possible cascading effects of early disruption in motor development.     

The Mediating Role of Social Skills in the Relationship between Motor Ability and Internalizing Symptoms in Pre‐primary Children

Impaired motor development can deprive a child of constructive engagement in early motor activities and thus diminish opportunities for the acquisition of key cognitive, social and emotional abilities. The aim of the current study was to test a model where social skills mediate the relationship between motor ability and internalizing symptoms in pre‐primary children. A cross‐sectional research design was employed to assess the mediation model using data from 234 boys and 241 girls aged 4 to 6 years. Structural equation modelling provided support for the mediating role of social skills as assessed by the child's teacher. Replication of these findings in longitudinal studies, elucidating how social skills relate to motor impairment, could have implications for the prevention of psychopathology in young children with motor impairment. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.