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Gender Differences in Physical Self-Descriptions of Adolescents with a History of Motor Learning Difficulties

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 October 2015

Dawne Larkin  and
Helen E. Parker
Dawne Larkin*
Affiliation:
The University of Western Australia
Helen E. Parker
Affiliation:
The University of Western Australia
*
Department of Human Movement, The University of Western Australia, Nedlands, WA 6907, E-mail: dlarkin@cyllene.uwa.edu.au
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Abstract

Little of the extensive research on gender differences in adolescent self-perception has addressed differences between boys and girls with coordination difficulties. This study of physical self-perception examined 16 boys and 16 girls ranging in age from 13 to 15 years, who had been identified as poorly coordinated during their primary school years. The Physical Self-Description Questionnaire completed by each participant provided scale scores for Appearance, Body Fat, Strength, Coordination, Endurance, Flexibility, Physical Activity, Sports Competence, Health, Global Physical, and Self-Esteem. As a group, the girls ranked their perceptions of Physical Activity and Endurance significantly lower than the boys did. The gender differences were somewhat different from those found in adolescents drawn from general populations.

Keywords

AdolescenceGenderPhysical Self-PerceptionPhysical Self-Description QuestionnaireMotor Cooordination
Type
Research Article
Information
The Educational and Developmental Psychologist , Volume 14 , Issue 1 , May 1997 , pp. 63 - 71
Copyright
Copyright © Australian Psychological Society 1997

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