Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42676434›Full record

ReviewFrontiers in psychology2026

The relationship between motor skills and social development in 6-12 years old typically developing children: a systematic review.

Renke He, Yulan Zhou, Shuyang Chen, Xuefen Dong, Xiandan Ye, Chi Xue

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Frontiers in psychology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Renke He *College of Physical Education and Health Sciences, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, Zhejiang, China.
Yulan Zhou *College of Physical Education and Health Sciences, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, Zhejiang, China.
Shuyang ChenCollege of Physical Education and Health Sciences, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, Zhejiang, China.
Xuefen DongCollege of Physical Education and Health Sciences, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, Zhejiang, China.
Xiandan YeCollege of Physical Education and Health Sciences, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, Zhejiang, China.
Chi XueCollege of Physical Education and Health Sciences, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, Zhejiang, China.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Motor skill development plays a pivotal role in children's holistic development, including both physical fitness and social competence. This systematic review examined the specific relationships between motor skill components (gross and fine motor skills) and three core domains of social development (social cognition, social emotion, and social behavior) in typically developing children aged 6-12 years. Methods: We conducted a systematic search across eight databases (Web of Science, Scopus, EBSCOhost, PubMed, ScienceDirect, CNKI, Wanfang, and VIP) from inception through April 2026. After initial title/abstract screening, full texts were reviewed against inclusion criteria. Two researchers independently performed study selection and quality assessment, with a third researcher resolving discrepancies. Results: From 8,252 initially identified records, 22 studies met inclusion criteria. Analysis revealed: (1) overall motor skills showed weak-to-moderate positive correlations (r = 0.008-0.549) with social development; (2) gross motor skills demonstrated stronger associations (weak-to-strong; r = 0.198-0.762) than fine motor skills (weak-to-moderate; r = 0.060-0.534); (3) research focus was unevenly distributed, with self-perception being most studied (59.1%), followed by peer relationships, problematic behaviors, and negative emotions (18.2% each), adaptive behaviors (13.6%), and emotion recognition (4.5%). Conclusion: Findings suggest that motor skills are consistently associated with social development outcomes, with particularly strong evidence for gross motor skills. Future research should investigate underlying mechanisms and long-term effects through longitudinal designs. Systematic review registration: The complete registration record is available at: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/view/CRD42025645601. This systematic review was prospectively registered in PROSPERO on February, 2025 under the registration number CRD42025645601.

Indexed as

fine motor skillsgross motor skillssocial behaviorsocial cognitionsocial emotionsystematic review

Identifiers

PMID42676434
PMCPMC13526609

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.