Preliminary Validation and Standardization of a New Test Battery for the Assessment of Motor Intelligence in Childhood

Mirko Zisi*

Background: Motor intelligence encompasses locomotor abilities, object-control skills, visuomotor coordination, and executive components of movement planning. Although several international instruments exist, such as the TGMD, BOT-2, and MABC-2, no standardized, simple, and culturally adapted tool is currently available for the Italian context. In this preliminary study, 480 children aged 3 to 10 years, recruited from six sport disciplines, were evaluated using a newly developed motor intelligence battery. Raw scores were converted into age-specific Standard Points (SP) and subsequently transformed into normative percentiles using a proportional scaling formula. Preliminary normative tables for locomotion, object-control, and global motor intelligence were generated, showing patterns consistent with known developmental trajectories. The proposed battery represents a promising instrument for assessing motor intelligence in Italian children. Future studies will expand the sample and examine reliability and validity metrics more extensively.

Methods: A total of 480 children aged 3–10 years were assessed across six sport disciplines (soccer, karate, swimming, gymnastics, basketball, athletics). Raw scores obtained in the tests were converted into Standard Points (SP) using age-specific tables and subsequently transformed into normative percentiles.

Results: Preliminary raw-to-SP and SP-to-percentile tables were constructed. Score distributions were coherent with known patterns of motor development.

Conclusion: The proposed battery represents a new tool for assessing motor intelligence in the Italian pediatric population. Future studies will expand the sample and further examine statistical reliability.

Keywords:

Published on: Dec 5, 2025 Pages: 7-10

Full Text PDF Full Text HTML DOI: 10.17352/ojpch.000060
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