Perception Is Power: Using Tech to Keep Kids Confident and Moving

"Confidence doesn’t always come from competence. Sometimes, it’s confidence that leads to competence."

When it comes to children’s development in physical activity and sport, there’s something more powerful than raw ability—it’s perceived competence.

Perceived competence is a child’s belief in their own ability, regardless of how “good” they actually are. And when it comes to movement, this belief can make or break a child’s journey.

Why Perception Is Everything

A child who believes they’re good at movement will keep engaging. They’ll join the game, try new skills, and stick with it—even when it gets hard. Over time, this continued engagement leads to real improvement.

But the reverse is just as true:

“Children with low perceived motor competence are less likely to participate in physical activity, regardless of their actual ability.” — Barnett et al., 2008

That means a child who thinks they’re “bad” at sport—even if they’re not—may drop out early, shy away from PE, or avoid movement altogether. The cost? Lost opportunities for physical, social, and emotional development.

Movement Is Public, and Kids Know Where They Stand

In subjects like maths or reading, it’s easy to personalise tasks so every child can feel successful. But movement is different.

Physical performance is visible. It happens out in the open. In a PE class, on the pitch, or in the playground, kids see—and are seen. They know who runs the fastest. Who gets picked first. Who scores. And who doesn’t.

It’s no wonder that from an early age, children start to form social “pecking orders” around who’s good at movement and who’s not.

“By the time children are 7–8 years old, they begin comparing themselves to peers and internalising judgments about their own motor skills.” — Barnett et al., 2016

And these judgments—accurate or not—can shape their motivation, participation, and long-term development.

The Confidence–Competence Loop

Perceived competence and motor competence form a reinforcing cycle:

• Kids who believe they’re good at movement are more likely to engage.

• That engagement drives skill development.

• Improving skills reinforces their belief.

• And the loop strengthens.

But this loop works both ways.

Children who don’t feel confident in movement disengage. That avoidance leads to lower development—and further lowers their confidence. It's a vicious cycle.

That’s why it’s not enough to measure movement competence—we need to build and protect perceived competence at every step.

Tech Creates the Space for Confidence to Grow

This is where technology changes the game.

Rather than reminding kids of what they can’t do, we can use tech to help them feel like they can—and want to try again.

We’ve seen it first-hand: children who believe they’re “bad at movement” shift their self-perception after gameplay.. A game invites them to move, rewards their effort, and gives them a high score. Suddenly, they feel successful—even if their actual movement quality is still developing.

This is the power of well-designed gamification: it rewards effort generously, reinforces positive action, and gently nudges toward improvement—without ever making the child feel less-than.

“We’ve seen kids come in thinking they’re bad at movement—and walk away believing they’re good. That belief doesn’t just come from ability; it comes from how the experience is designed. If you can get a child to feel successful, you can get them to keep moving.” — Dr. Jamie McGann, MoveAhead CPO

At MoveAhead, our system is built to strike that balance: rewarding high-quality movement with extra encouragement and in-game rewards—while still celebrating every child’s best effort. That way, every child walks away with a win—and a reason to come back.

What This Means for Educators, Parents, and Providers

If we want children to build a lifelong love of movement, we need to nurture not just their physical skills—but their belief in those skills.

That starts with facilitating experiences that feel rewarding, achievable, and safe from comparison. Tech gives us the tools to do just that—providing discreet, personalised, and confidence-boosting feedback that kids trust.

Because when children feel good about moving, they move more. And when they move more, everything else follows: confidence, skill, health, happiness.

That’s the real magic of perceived competence—and the reason we build everything we do at MoveAhead.