How Parents Use Screen-Based Devices to Regulate Themselves and their Children

• In Event: Poster Session 08
  In Poster Session: PS 08 Topic - Technology, Media & Child Development

Abstract

There is growing interest in parent use of screen-based devices (SBDs; e.g., TV, tablets, computers, smartphones) as a parenting tool (Elias & Sulkin, 2019). However, findings are mixed, sometimes showing parental SBD use is related to parent stress and poorer child outcomes (Domoff et al., 2019; Kildare & Middlemiss, 2017; McDaniel & Radesky, 2020; Wong et al., 2020), but other times showing associations with better parenting depending on the context (Elias & Sulkin, 2019; Modecki et al., 2020). To shed new light on the adaptive versus maladaptive effects of parent SBD use on child development, it may be important to directly assess parents’ behaviors, perceptions about, and regulation of their SBD use (Barr et al., 2020). Accordingly, we applied a parent self-regulation framework to develop a new measure, the Parent Screen Use Survey (PSUS). The present pilot study examined the PSUS factor structure, as well as construct and predictive validity via relations to parent executive function (EF) and child behavior problems, to better understand the adaptive versus maladaptive nature of parent SBD use.

Mothers (N=226) of children ages two through six (M=52.3 months, SD=16.1) were recruited via Amazon Mechanical Turk and completed the PSUS, the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (Gioia et al., 2000), and the Child Behavior Checklist (Achenbach & Rescorla, 2000). The PSUS consisted of 30 items broken into nine subscales (Table 1): Discipline, Limit Setting, Involvement, Babysitting, Child-centeredness, Self-regulation, Dysregulation, Support, and Family Use. Mothers responded on a 5-point Likert-type scale ranging from “never” to “often.”

Confirmatory factor analysis model fit was less than ideal, χ²(399)=709.66, p<.001, CFI=.84, RMSEA=.07, SRMR=.07. However, all items loaded onto respective subscales robustly (estimates from .45 to .85, p<.001) except for two Child-centeredness items and one Babysitting item; similarly, Cronbach’s alphas were acceptable (between .67 and .85) for all except these two subscales. To further explore factor structure, exploratory factor analysis was conducted for nine and fewer solutions, supporting a 9-factor solution, χ²(222)=346.80, p<.001, CFI=.96, RMSEA=.05, SRMR=.03. Results mapped onto the nine subscales as designed except for Self-regulation, Child-Centeredness, and Babysitting; these subscales were overlapping, suggesting parents’ use of SBDs to reduce stress (Self-regulation) were intertwined with use of SBDs for caregiving (Child-centeredness and Babysitting).

Bivariate correlations indicated reasonable construct validity and offered insights into adaptive versus maladaptive aspects of SBD use. Discipline, Involvement, Babysitting, Self-regulation, Dysregulation, Support, and Family Use were positively correlated with problems in maternal inhibition and working memory (rs from .25-.44, p<.001) as well as children’s higher externalizing and internalizing behavior problems (rs from .17-.47, p<.05). In contrast, Limit Setting and Child-centeredness were significantly negatively correlated with EF problems and child behavior problems. Results suggest parent use of SBDs to regulate themselves and their children is associated with poorer EF and more child behavior problems. Parental prioritization of children over SBDs and setting limits on child SBD use, however, appears adaptive. Results are promising with respect to validity; refinements will be made to the Self-regulation, Child-Centeredness, and Babysitting subscales for a second pilot trial in October 2020.

Authors

• Erika S. Lunkenheimer, Pennsylvania State University, University Park
  Presenting Author

• Catherine Diercks, Pennsylvania State University, University Park
  Non-Presenting Author