Behavioral flexibility--the ability to tailor motor actions to changing body-environment relations--is critical for functional movement. Navigating the everyday environment requires the ability to generate a wide repertoire of actions, select the appropriate action for the current situation, and implement it quickly and accurately. We used a new,…

Purpose: The Optimizing Performance Through Motivation and Attention for Learning (OPTIMAL) theory predicts that providing learners with choices during skill acquisition will enhance their acquisition performance, motor learning, and expectancies. Based on this theory, it is recommended that instructors ask learners to choose which tasks to…

This study quantified the spatial exploration of 13 infants born very and extremely preterm (PT) at 4 months corrected age as they learned that moving their feet vertically to cross a virtual threshold activated an infant kick-activated mobile and compared results to 15 infants born full-term (FT) from a previously published study. Spatial…

Mobile eye tracking technology enables the objective evaluation of what, when, and how athletes use visual information from the environment to control action in service of skilled performance. This review highlights the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) to consider before adopting this technology to evaluate visual-motor…

Background: Motor competence is the ability to perform goal directed human movements in a co-ordinated, accurate and error free manner. The aim of this study was to compare the accuracy of coaches' perceptions of children's motor competence with their actual motor competence. Method: This study examined the motor competence of children with…

Coordinating a physical movement in time and space with social and nonsocial partners to achieve a shared goal -- "joint action" (JA) -- characterizes many peer-engagement situations that pose challenges for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This cross-sectional study examined development of JA capabilities comparing ASD…

The main aim of the present study was to identify motor difficulties in Greek preschoolers. Secondary aims were to identify possible differences in prevalence of motor difficulties related to gender, age, body mass index, place of residence, and hand preference. 302 preschoolers were assessed using the first age band (3-6 years) of the Movement…

Feeding disorders can be quite complex, with medical concerns, anatomical abnormalities, skill deficits, and behavioral or environmental components contributing to the development and maintenance of significant feeding concerns. Because of this, an interdisciplinary approach to assessment and treatment is oftentimes warranted. Within the current…

This study aimed to develop and evaluate the acceptability and feasibility of a web-based platform for parents to support preschoolers' development of physical literacy. Specifically, this intervention focused on children's motor and social-emotional skill development. Twenty parents (M[subscript age] = 35.7, SD = 4.2) of preschool-aged children…

The worldwide increase in childhood overweight and obesity underscores the need to study variables like fundamental movement skill (FMS) levels from early childhood. This study investigated the bidirectional longitudinal relationship between body mass index (BMI) and process-oriented FMSs, including locomotor skills and object control skills in…

Background: The aim of the study was to assess the effect of climbing on static and dynamic balance and to determine the usefulness of such training in supporting the fitness of young adults with mild and moderate intellectual disabilities. Method: The study involved 47 men and 21 women aged 18-25 years. The experimental group participated in…

Due to the lack of tools that can be easily used by practitioners, there is a need to develop acceptable embedded ways to assess children's fine motor skill development within early childhood education and care settings. This study examined the validity and reliability of a brief and ecologically valid fine motor assessment tool for preschool-aged…

A priori power analyses can ensure studies are unlikely to miss interesting effects. Recent metascience has suggested that kinesiology research may be underpowered and selectively reported. Here, we examined whether power analyses are being used to ensure informative studies in motor behavior. We reviewed every article published in three motor…

The typical process for assessing inter-rater reliability is facilitated by training raters within a research team. Lacking is an understanding if inter-rater reliability scores "between" research teams demonstrate adequate reliability. This study examined inter-rater reliability between 16 researchers who assessed fundamental motor…

The cardinal features of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are recognized to include impairments in communication, social interactions, and restricted, repetitive behaviors and stereotyped interests. However, many children with ASD also have motor activity limitations that are often overlooked. The purpose of this review is to summarize the…