Psycho-Motor Skills in Swimming Among Children: Gender Differences

Abstract

Psychomotricity is a broad term that encompasses different approaches to bodily action to support children and adolescents to reach their highest motor and cognitive potential. The aim of the study was to highlight gender differences in the manifestation of psychomotor behaviors in 8—9-year-old children who practice sports swimming. The subjects (N=52, 26 males, 26 females) are children aged 8.0-9.11 years (M = 8.80; SD = ±0.65) who practice swimming in one of the swimming pools of a city in Romania. They were tested, using specific instruments, to assess the level of manual dexterity, body schema, hand laterality, body balance, body balance on water/buoyancy, general coordination. For four of the variables (manual dexterity, body schema, hand laterality and spatial orientation) no statistically significant differences were found, while for the other three (body balance, body balance on water and general coordination) statistically significant differences were recorded. The results indicate differences between the two genders, girls in this age group who practice swimming having more developed psychomotor skills compared to boys.