Phone or Paper? The Effect of Different Parental Distractions on Parents’ and Children’s Question-Asking

• In Event: Fostering Children’s Early Curiosity, Engagement and Question-Asking Behavior

Abstract

Questions fuel learning-- children ask adults questions to gain information (Chouinard et al., 2007) and parents use questions as a tool to teach their children (Yu et al., 2017). However, adult cell phone use may preoccupy parents, affecting the frequency of questions parents and children ask and answer. Cell phones may pose an especially strong distraction for parents, as users constantly engage with work colleagues and friends (Hertlein, 2012). Cell phones may also lead to fewer questions from children, who do not expect their questions to be answered by socially disengaged adults (Rowles & Mills, 2018). Here, we test the hypothesis that parental cell phone use will lead to a decrease in the number of questions children and parents ask one another while playing with a novel toy.

Fifty-seven parent-child dyads (Mage = 48.72 months, SD = 6.53, 28 girls) were randomly assigned to a cell phone (n = 19), paper (n = 19), or control (n = 19) condition. All children were presented with a novel toy with hidden functions (e.g., a concealed flashlight; Figure 1). As children played, parents in the cell phone condition completed a survey about reading on their cell phone, while parents in the paper condition did it on paper. Parents in the control condition did not complete the survey. Over the course of a maximum of 8 minutes, researchers coded videotaped interactions for parents’ and children’s questions (Table 1). After playing, children completed the QUILS (Quick Interactive Language Screener) and a measure of executive function (i.e., peg tapping task).

Across conditions, children demonstrated similar language abilities (QUILS, p= .284) executive function skills (peg tapping task, p= .264) and were the same age (p= .343). A Poisson regression predicted the number of children’s questions aimed at gaining factual or causal information (i.e., information-seeking questions). Condition and time playing with the toy (ß= .003, p < .001) were significant predictors of children’s information-seeking questions with significantly more in the control than the cell phone condition (ß= .383, p= .015). Information- seeking questions did not differ significantly between the control and paper (ß= .231, p= .085) conditions, nor the cell phone and paper (ß= .152, p< .352) conditions.

A second Poisson regression predicted the number of information-seeking questions parents asked. Condition and time spent playing with the toy (ß= .002, p< .001) were significant predictors of parents’ information-seeking questions with significantly more in the control condition than the cell phone (ß= .665, p< .001) and paper (ß= .325, p< .001) conditions. Critically, parents also asked more information-seeking questions in the paper than the cell phone condition, ß= .340, p = .002.

Results suggest that although parental distractions may have similar effects on children’s questioning, cell phones may disrupt parents’ question-asking differently than other distractions, such as filling out a paper survey. Specifically, cell phones may pose a more compelling distraction than other activities, causing a unique disruption in parents’ question-asking. In an increasingly digital world, understanding how technology affects parent-child interactions is critical to promote children’s learning.

Authors

• Caroline Gaudreau, University of Delaware
  Presenting Author

• Adeola Olowokudejo, Alcorn State University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Chineme Jane Otuonye
  Non-Presenting Author

• Calla Pritulsky, University of Delaware
  Non-Presenting Author

• Kathy A Hirsh-Pasek, Temple University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Roberta M Golinkoff, University of Delaware
  Non-Presenting Author