Validity Evidence Based on Internal Structure of Test of Gross Motor Development-3: A Confirmatory Factorial Analysis and Exploratory Structural Equation Modeling Approaches

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Bibliographic Details
Title: Validity Evidence Based on Internal Structure of Test of Gross Motor Development-3: A Confirmatory Factorial Analysis and Exploratory Structural Equation Modeling Approaches
Language: English
Authors: Glauber Carvalho Nobre (ORCID 0000-0002-3570-8493), Marcelo Gonçalves Duarte (ORCID 0000-0002-7655-8583), Clarice Maria de Lucena Martins (ORCID 0000-0002-4947-9329), Nadia Cristina Valentini (ORCID 0000-0001-6412-5206)
Source: Journal of Motor Learning and Development. 2026 14(1).
Availability: Human Kinetics, Inc. 1607 North Market Street, Champaign, IL 61820. Tel: 800-474-4457; Fax: 217-351-1549; e-mail: info@hkusa.com; Web site: https://journals.humankinetics.com/view/journals/jmld/jmld-overview.xml
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 7
Publication Date: 2026
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Descriptors: Children, Motor Development, Foreign Countries, Test Validity, Factor Structure, Psychomotor Skills, Norm Referenced Tests
Geographic Terms: Brazil
Assessment and Survey Identifiers: Test of Gross Motor Development
DOI: 10.1123/jmld.2025-0053
ISSN: 2325-3193
2325-3215
Abstract: Objective: Examine the internal structure of Test of Gross Motor Development-3 through Confirmatory Factorial Analysis (CFA) and Exploratory Structural Equation Modeling (ESEM) in Brazilian children. Design: Cross-sectional study. Methods: Participants were 1,454 children (girls, n = 742, 51%), aged from 3 to 10.9 years old, from all five Brazilian macroregions (North, Northeast, Central-West, Southeast, and South). Five models were tested: Unidimensional, two first-order factor, and Bifactor models from CFA and two first-order and Bifactor models from the ESEM approach. Results: Among the CFA approaches, the bifactor CFA model (Comparative Fit Index = 0.91, Tucker-Lewis's index = 0.90, root mean square error of approximation = 0.05) demonstrated better fit. Among the ESEM models, the bifactor-ESEM model (Comparative Fit Index = 0.97, Tucker-Lewis's index = 0.94, root mean square error of approximation = 0.05) presented the best fit. Conclusion: Results supported the validity evidence of a bifactor representation of the Test of Gross Motor Development-3, revealing the presence of a potential global motor skills factor encompassing shared motor components, beyond locomotor and ball skills dimensions. These shared motor components could be understood as the foundational actions that emphasize the role of shared constraints and actions across motor tasks.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: EJ1508795
Database: ERIC
Description
Abstract:Objective: Examine the internal structure of Test of Gross Motor Development-3 through Confirmatory Factorial Analysis (CFA) and Exploratory Structural Equation Modeling (ESEM) in Brazilian children. Design: Cross-sectional study. Methods: Participants were 1,454 children (girls, n = 742, 51%), aged from 3 to 10.9 years old, from all five Brazilian macroregions (North, Northeast, Central-West, Southeast, and South). Five models were tested: Unidimensional, two first-order factor, and Bifactor models from CFA and two first-order and Bifactor models from the ESEM approach. Results: Among the CFA approaches, the bifactor CFA model (Comparative Fit Index = 0.91, Tucker-Lewis's index = 0.90, root mean square error of approximation = 0.05) demonstrated better fit. Among the ESEM models, the bifactor-ESEM model (Comparative Fit Index = 0.97, Tucker-Lewis's index = 0.94, root mean square error of approximation = 0.05) presented the best fit. Conclusion: Results supported the validity evidence of a bifactor representation of the Test of Gross Motor Development-3, revealing the presence of a potential global motor skills factor encompassing shared motor components, beyond locomotor and ball skills dimensions. These shared motor components could be understood as the foundational actions that emphasize the role of shared constraints and actions across motor tasks.
ISSN:2325-3193
2325-3215
DOI:10.1123/jmld.2025-0053