The Motor Activity Anxiety Test

Abstract

Feelings and perceptions of insecurity, anxiety, and danger can hinder motor learning and performance. The Motor Activity Anxiety Test is proposed to assess personal attitude to meet typical motor requirements for physical education in schools and anxiety about the physical dangers linked to motor activities in particular. The test is composed of 16 pictures and has been given to 1110 subjects ranging from 11 to 19 years of age. The test has good reliability and discriminative power. Previous research shows correlation between test scores and those on other psychological and motor tests. It is easy to complete in about 5 minutes. Teachers can use the information about their pupils to plan adequate strategies and help subjects overcome inhibitions and difficulties. Influences of gender, age, and experience on pupils' attitudes toward potentially dangerous sports and motor tasks might be studied through research.