Compared to males, females had higher self-perceptions of close friendships, with the females with HMC having higher scores for close friendships compared to those with LMC. Those with HMC reported higher scores in a number of domains. Rose and colleagues found that level of motor competence of 14-year-olds was associated with their self-perceptions of global self-worth, athletic competence, physical appearance, close friendships, social acceptance and romantic appeal. These were scholastic competence, social competence, athletic competence, physical appearance, job competence, romantic appeal, behavioral conduct, close friendships, and global self-worth. Harter identified nine self-perception domains that described an adolescent’s competence and adequacy. Therefore, there is a need to understand the role that self-perceptions play in mediating the relationship between identity health and motor competence, and whether these differ between male and female adolescents. However, those who had friends who valued their skills developed a healthier identity. Lingam and colleagues interviewed adolescents with LMC (aged 11-to 16-years) and found many formed their identity differently as they experienced greater daily struggles, challenges finding valued friendship groups and felt teachers did not understand their needs. Only recently have studies begun to report the relationship between motor competence and identity health. As a consequence, identity health is impacted as these youth do not have the same opportunities to explore their personal interests in those social settings (often team sports) that reinforce a healthy identity. These difficulties may contribute to feelings of lower self-worth and higher levels of stress and anxiety.

The condition is evident at an early age and is not explained by another movement related disorder. DCD is a neuromuscular condition that reduces an individual’s ability to proficiently perform many motor tasks such as activities of daily living to the same level as their peers.

Whereas, those with low motor competence (LMC), who may also receive a diagnosis of Developmental Coordination Disorder, often have poor social skills and experience more social-emotional challenges such as lower social acceptance. Those with high motor competence (HMC) are motivated to participate in many age appropriate sports and recreational games and consequently experience strong peer acceptance. An adolescent’s level of motor competence influences their involvement in a number of activities. Motor competence is defined as an individual’s ability to move proficiently in a range of locomotor, stability, and manipulative skills. One factor, often not considered, found to impact identity health is one’s level of motor competence. Those who develop a healthy identity have stronger personal attributes and clear future goals, a willingness to explore a variety of new avenues such as intimacy, and have a strong sense of belonging with peer groups. The health of an adolescent’s identity is also dependent on how they negotiate academic or occupational choices. Adolescence is a fragile phase to negotiate, as one’s identity can be impacted by many decisions, often overwhelming, about the future and can be affected by personal interests, hobbies, peer and parent support, and social media.

Identity is defined as a broad spectrum of ‘who one is’ and evolves through psychosocial influences such as personal beliefs, self-awareness and self-evaluations as well as a range of social roles such as family, sexual, and cultural outside of the self. The development of one’s identity is a lifelong process, with the most important phase occurring during adolescence.

Self perception definition