| Smart Device Usage-Related Factors are Correlated with Self-Regulation Ability in Early Childhood. |
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Sang Yeun Cho, Hye Jin So, Sung Min Lim, Min Sook Koh, Kil Yun Song, Jin Hwa Moon |
1Department of Pediatrics, Hanyang University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea. jinhwamoon@hanyang.ac.kr
2Child Neurodevelopmental Lab, Department of Pediatric Neurology, Hanyang University Guri Hospital, Guri, Korea. |
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| Abstract |
PURPOSE
To investigate the relationship between the smart devices usage-related factors and self-regulation ability development in early childhood. METHODS: Parental questionnaires of 187 children aged 3–6 years were analyzed. The metrics included smart device usage frequency (times/week, scored as uFreq), smart device usage time (hours/day, scored as uTime), parental scale for appropriate smart device usage level (scored as uLevel), the Korean-developmental screening test (K-DST), and the scale for self-regulation ability in young children (scored as SRS, and including four sub-categories: self-appraisal, self-determination, behavior inhibition, and emotionality). The correlations were analyzed by total age group and by each age. RESULTS: In the total age group analysis, uFreq and uTime were negatively correlated with mean SRS (rs =−0.366, −0.330; P < 0.001) and sub-category SRS (rs =−0.186 to −0.370; P < 0.05). Mean uLevel score was positively correlated with mean SRS (rs =0.406; P < 0.001) and most of the mean sub-category SRS (rs =0.174 to 0.362; P < 0.05). In 3-year-old children, the mean SRS was strongly negatively correlated with uFreq (rs =−0.751; P < 0.001), negatively correlated with uTime (rs =−0.518; P < 0.001), and positively correlated with mean uLevel score (rs =0.533; P=0.013). Such correlations seemed to decrease at the age of 4–6 years. CONCLUSION: Self-regulation ability was significantly correlated with smart device-related factors and was the highest in the 3-year-old children. Encouraging appropriate smart device usage will be helpful for self-regulation development of young children. |
| Key Words:
Smartphone, Child, Self-control, Development |
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