Poster #124 - Predicting child emotion regulation: The role of screen time and parent coping skills.

• In Event: Poster Session 13

Abstract

Intro
As a result of COVID-19 restrictions that led to closures of schools and childcare, many children were less active and used technology more often (Drouin et al., 2020; Pandya & Lodha, 2021). Excessive screen exposure in early childhood is related to maladaptive outcomes such as attention problems (Christakis et al., 2004), poor emotion regulation (ER), and academic delays (Cerniglila et al., 2020). Parenting styles that include high parental control and cold parental response strategies have also been related to poor child ER (Birken et al., 2011; Oliveria, 2021). In the period of COVID, where screen use and time spent between parents and children increased, we predict that technology use and poor parenting are predictive of poor child ER strategies.

Methods
Data were collected between October 2020 and July 2021 from 371 participants of whom 324 provided data on screen use. Of those included, 70% mothers, 29% fathers, and one parent identified as they/them. Among the dyads, children were 42.6% female, 56.2% male, and 1.1% identified as they/ them. The average child age was 3.46 years old and the average parent age was 32.41. Parents completed online surveys about their child’s time spent on a device (including video games, tablet smartphone, computers) and watching the television (0 = None; 1 = < 30 minutes; 2 = 30-60 minutes; 3 = 1-2 hours; 4 = 2-3 hours; 5 = 3-4 hours; 6 = 4-5 hours; 7 = > 5 hours), how parents would cope with (Coping with Toddlers Negative Emotions Scale; Spinrad et al., 2007), and how their child would emotionally cope with and react to hypothetical scenarios (Early Emotions Questionnaire; Perry& Dollar, 2021)

Results
Device, but not television, screen time was correlated with parent coping and child ER strategies. Greater use of punitive responding and wish-granting was associated with children’s greater use of self-soothing, avoidance, and maladaptive regulation strategies (Table 1). Multiple regression was used to predict child ER strategies from parent strategies to cope with child negative emotions and child device use. When device use and parenting coping were simultaneously entered only parent coping was a significant predictor of a child’s ER strategy (Table 2).

Conclusion
Parents’ maladaptive responses-punitive responding and granting a child’s wish- to a child's negative emotions were associated with increased device screen time. Additionally, both punitive responding and granting a child’s wish were associated with maladaptive child ER strategies. Screen time was associated with children’s use of avoidant and self-soothing regulation strategies. These patterns illustrate that computer screen time may be used for individuals to avoid situations and/or self-soothe.
Contrary to what was expected, after accounting for parenting coping, we found that device use did not independently predict child ER strategies or abilities. How parents respond to their child’s negative emotions however does predict child regulatory strategies. Thus, during COVID-19 and the increased time spent together attention should be paid to parental coping skills and regulatory abilities to work with their children in an adaptive manner.

Authors

• Madison Hannapel, Eastern Michigan University
  Presenting Author

• Angela D Staples, Eastern Michigan University

• Jamie Lawler, Eastern Michigan University