Parent-toddler predictors of positive and negative tablet-based reading experiences

• In Event: 1-111 - Familial and Contextual Influences on Media Use for Families with Young Children

Integrative Statement

Background: Joint media engagement between parents and toddlers facilitates child learning from media content (Barr, 2013) and is recommended by early childhood organizations (e.g., Zero to Three, American Academy of Pediatrics). Recent evidence suggests that parent-child reciprocal interactions (Hiniker, 2018) and verbalizations (Munzer, under review) are more limited in the context of tablet-based play and reading, compared to traditional toys or print books. It is not known whether parent or child characteristics or usual home media use practices influence the quality of parent-child interactions around tablets.

Aims: Examine parent, child, and home media use predictors of positive scaffolding (e.g., teaching, reciprocity) and negative (e.g., conflict) parent-toddler interactions when reading enhanced (e.g., with sound effects, hot spots, animation) tablet, basic tablet, and print books.

Methods: We conducted a within-subjects comparison of 37 parent-toddler dyads videorecorded while using enhanced tablet-based, basic tablet-based, and print books, using a counterbalanced cross-over experimental design. Parents self-reported age, educational attainment, marital status; and child’s age, race/ethnicity, sex, expressive language development (MacArthur-Bates CDI, Fenson 2007), social-emotional competence and problem behaviors (BITSEA, Briggs-Gowan 2002). Parent screen mediation practices and typical home media use were measured with standardized questions (Valkenberg, 1999). Videorecorded interactions were reliably (α or ICC > .75) coded for parent-toddler verbalizations (coded as present/absent in 10-second intervals) and behaviors (coded continuously). The positive scaffolding score was a summation of: parent dialogic, nondialogic (other comments/questions about the book), text-reading, and child book-related verbalizations. The parent-child conflict score was a summation of: all parent book-format verbalizations, child negative verbalizations, parent and child interceptions and pivots (pushing the others’ hand away or turning body away, respectively), child grabbing book, and pressing escape on the tablet (or closing book). We created multivariate Poisson regression models examining independent associations between parent, child, and home media use predictors of positive scaffolding and conflict.

Results: Parents were 33.5 years (SD 4.0), 81% mothers, 86% married, and 76% had a 4-year college degree. Children were 29.2 months (SD 4.3), 54% boys, 57% white non-Hispanic, and 16% black non-Hispanic. In multivariate models (Table 1), the strongest predictor of positive scaffolding was book format type (enhanced tablet β=-0.28, SE=0.05, p<.001; basic tablet β=-0.16, SE=0.04, p<.001 versus print book). Child black race/ethnicity and first book order predicted greater positive scaffolding. Child behavior problems predicted lower positive scaffolding. Book format type was also the strongest predictor of parent-child conflict (enhanced tablet β= 0.96, SE=0.19, p<.001; basic tablet β= 0.98, SE 0.21, p<.001 versus print book); higher child behavior problems predicted lower parent-child conflict. Home media experiences did not predict the quality of parent-child interaction over tablets.


Conclusions: Tablet book format and child factors may shape parent-child interactions during book reading. Affordances of the screen media itself may interfere with parents’ ability to scaffold their children, perhaps due to higher parent-child conflict. Although guidelines recommend joint engagement over digital media, this may be more challenging over tablet devices. Additional research with observational measures of parent mediation is needed to test whether home media practices influence parent-child interaction around tablets.


Authors

• Tiffany Munzer, University of Michigan
  Presenting Author

• Alison L. Miller, University of Michigan School of Public Health
  Non-Presenting Author

• Heidi Weeks, University of Michigan School of Medicine
  Non-Presenting Author

• Niko Kaciroti, Center for Human Growth and Development, University of Michigan
  Non-Presenting Author

• Jenny Radesky, Medical School, University of Michigan
  Non-Presenting Author