The Relationship between Children’s Personal Traits, Motor Activity and Motor Performance

The aim of this study was to verify the presumption that sport activity and the motor performance of children is influenced by their temperament to a certain level. We examined 903 children (447 boys and 456 girls) from Slovak primary and secondary schools. Information about the personal features of children and their sport activities were received from the children themselves as well as from their parents by means of a questionnaire. The level of motor performance was assessed by a battery of 7 tests. According to the test results, the children were sorted into three groups; average, above average and below average. The relationship between temperament, sport activities and motor performance is assessed on the basis of c2 and coefficient of contingency C. There are no proven significant relationships between temperament and the sport activities of either boys and girls. However, the temperament of boys and girls is closely linked with their motor performance (x2 = 14,3 > p0,05 C = 0,176; x 2 = 15,6 > p0,05 C = = 0,184). Sanguine and choleric types show a more above-average level of motor performance in comparison to melancholic and phlegmatic types. Children qualified as melancholic and phlegmatic are more in the zone of under-average level than the other types. There are not remarkable differences concerning age.