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Motor proficiency relationships among siblings
Brian H Wrotniak1, Sarah J Salvy, Laura Lazarus
1Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo (SUNY), Farber Hall, Room G56, 3435 Main Street, Building No. 26, Buffalo, NY 14214-3000, USA. bhw@buffalo.edu
Perceptual and Motor Skills
|May 12, 2009
Summary
Siblings may share specific motor skills like balance and coordination, but not overall motor competence. This study analyzed 23 sibling pairs using the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency.
Area of Science:
- Child Development
- Motor Learning
- Behavioral Genetics
Background:
- Sibling relationships influence various developmental aspects.
- Understanding shared motor skills in siblings is crucial for developmental research.
- Previous research has not fully elucidated the extent of shared motor proficiency between siblings.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the associations in motor proficiency between siblings.
- To identify specific motor skills that siblings may share or not share.
- To determine if overall motor competence is correlated between siblings.
Main Methods:
- Studied 23 sibling pairs aged 5 to 13 years.
- Assessed motor proficiency using the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency-Short Form (14 items).
- Adjusted for Body Mass Index percentile, age, and sex in the analysis.
Main Results:
- No statistically significant association was found for overall motor proficiency between siblings.
- Significant associations were observed for individual motor skill items.
- Positive associations included balance beam walking, foot tapping, and shape sorting; negative associations included pencil copying and dot making.
Conclusions:
- Siblings may share specific motor skill components (e.g., balance, coordination, dexterity).
- Siblings do not necessarily exhibit similar global motor competence.
- Further research is needed to understand the underlying mechanisms of motor skill relations among siblings.
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