Latent profiles of parent media use and child outcomes over time

• In Event: The complex feelings and family correlates surrounding parent technology use

Abstract

---INTRODUCTION: Media use among adults is ubiquitous, as the average adult spends nearly twelve hours a day consuming media (NCAR, 2016). Media use in the family context is especially important because parent media use influences other members of the family (Lanigan, 2009). The Person-Process-Context-Time ecological model (Bronfenbrenner, 1995) suggests that child development is a result of a complex interactive process between child characteristics and a range of environmental factors across development. Patterns of parental media use function as one such environmental factor. The current study examines longitudinal associations between profiles of parent media use and language development and quality of parent-child interactions.
---METHOD: Participant data are from Project MEDIA, a longitudinal study of child development in a media saturated world. At Times 1 (child age: M=5.95 months, SD=3.61 months) and 3 (child age: M=29.16 months, SD=3.67 months), 265 primary caregivers completed in-home assessments and an online survey of parent and child behavior. Parents self-reported on frequency of their own media use at Time 1. In addition, number of words spoken to the child, number of back-and-forth alternations between parent and child, and child expressive language were collected at Time 3 by placing a small digital recording device in the pocket of a custom-made shirt (LENA, 2012). Finally, quality of parent-child interactions were analyzed as parents and children engaged in unstructured free play while interactions were recorded at Time 3. Videos were coded for parent support and child engagement.
---RESULTS: Latent profile analysis of parent media use frequency was conducted in Mplus (v.8.3.1). Fit statistics suggested a 3-profile solution. Profile 1 (n = 178), “Low media use,” included parents who spent the least amount of time on media daily. Profile 2 (n = 35), “High video game use,” included parents who spent the most time playing video games. Finally, Profile 3 (n = 52), “High social use,” included parents who spent the most amount of time engaging in social media and texting. Profiles were analyzed for longitudinal outcomes (all two years later). Parents in Profile 1 spoke more words to their children, had more back-and-forth conversations, and children had higher levels of expressive language than dyads in Profile 2. In addition, parents in Profile 1 used higher levels of descriptive language (describing child’s actions) and children of parents in Profile 1 gave more positive feedback (smiles, physical affection) to their parent than dyads in Profile 2. See Table 1.
---DISCUSSION: There are differences in the ways parents use media, and these differences are important for development. In terms of both language development and quality of parent-child interaction, parents and children in the “Low media use” profile fared better than those in the “High video game” profile, on average. It is possible that when parents frequently engage in video game play, they are less engaged in interactions with their child. Thus, it is possible that parents using specific mediums (e.g., video games) at high levels can negatively influence both language development and the parent-child relationship.

Authors

• Hailey Holmgren, Brigham Young University
  Presenting Author

• Laura Stockdale, Brigham Young University

• Brandon Neil Clifford, Arizona State University

• Emilie Davis

• Kevin Collier

• Sarah M Coyne, Brigham Young University