Does Motor Skill Competence Influence Physical Activity Behavior?

The purpose of this study was to investigate the widely held belief that motor skill competence positively affects physical activity behavior (PA), considering the task-specific nature of motor skill competence and the context-specific nature of PA. Specifically, we examined the effects of students’ jump rope (JR) and basketball (BB) competence on their PA in six contexts. A total of 134 sixth grade students participated in this study. All variables were assessed using appropriate tools. A series of hierarchical regression analyses were conducted to address the research questions. Students’ JR competence did not significantly influence their PA in either JR-related or JR-unrelated contexts. Students’ BB competence (dribbling skill and perceived competence) significantly influenced their BB playing behavior during free time. The findings challenge the general assertion that motor skill competence positively influences PA and imply two possible boundaries of this theoretical proposition.