How Can We Make Our Assessment of Motor AbilityRelevant Cross-Culturally?

• Published in: Current developmental disorders reports Vol. 2; no. 2; pp. 157 - 164
• Main Authors: de Castro Magalhães, Lívia, Cardoso, Ana Amélia, Guimarães, Marina Aguiar Pires, Van Petten, Adriana Maria Valladão Novais
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cham Springer International Publishing 01-06-2015; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Babies; Cross cultural studies; Culture; Disorders of Motor (PH Wilson; Family Medicine; General Practice; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Motor ability; Pediatrics; Psychiatry; Section Editor; Skills; Topical Collection on Disorders of Motor; United States > US; Motor abilities; Validity; Translation; Motor development; Standardized tests; Motor assessment; Cross-cultural adaptation
• ISSN: 2196-2987; 2196-2987
• DOI: 10.1007/s40474-015-0047-5

The assessment of motor abilities is important to identify atypical development, to measure progress obtained with intervention, and for research. Motor assessment usually is based on the use of standardized tests, on which children are expected to perform specific tasks that are deemed common. As the majority of the motor development tests were created by researchers from European and North American countries, concepts from these cultures are embedded in the tasks, materials, and format of the instruments. This raises the question as to whether these instruments can be used internationally, with the perhaps misguided assumption that motor skill development is the same across different countries. Is it necessary to adapt standardized motor ability tests for cross-cultural use? This paper discusses the relationship between culture and motor development and points out some aspects that should be considered to make our assessment of motor ability more relevant cross-culturally.