Reliability and Validity Evidence for the Pictorial Scale of Perceived Movement Skill Competence Among Children Living in Southeast Michigan

The pictorial scale of Perceived Movement Skill Competence assesses perceived motor competence in children. Limited validity and reliability evidence exists from the United States. The study aim was to determine indices of construct validity, concurrent validity, and internal consistency obtained from multiple versions of the Perceived Movement Skill Competence in a convenience sample of children living in Southeast Michigan (n = 254, Mage = 9.10 ± 1.23 years, 117 boys). Construct validity was tested via confirmatory factor analysis with hypothesized structures, including locomotor, object control, and active play skills. All variations of construct validity were supported based on fit indices. Concurrent validity was established against results from the Pictorial Scale of Perceived Competence and Acceptance for Young Children with results ranging from intraclass correlation coefficient = .66 to .78. Internal consistency was established by reporting Cronbach’s alpha and ranged from α = .51 to .83. Both versions of the Perceived Movement Skill Competence provide similar results and align with previous findings supporting its continued use in children.