scholarly journals Engagement and Immersion in Digital Play: Supporting Young Children’s Digital Wellbeing

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (19) ◽  
pp. 10179
Author(s):  
Kelly Johnston
Keyword(s):  
Young Children ◽  
Screen Time ◽  
Self Regulation ◽  
Self Control ◽  
Digital Citizenship ◽  
Children’S Agency ◽  
Outcomes For Children ◽  
Citizenship Skills ◽  
Ongoing Concern

For many families, young children’s engagement with screen-based technology is an ongoing concern in terms of physical, social and cognitive development. They are uneasy with the difficulty children have disengaging from screens and concerned that this behavior is obsessive or a sign of addiction. However, technology is recognized as having a “rightful role” in early childhood contexts. This scoping paper reports on a review of literature relating to digital play for children aged birth to five years, with the aim of further understanding digital wellbeing. Csikszentmihalyi’s flow theory serves as a theoretical framework for understanding why many young children enjoy digital play and become deeply engaged, with a disconnect between how young children and adults perceive digital play. Concerns about children’s deep immersion with digital play are interrogated to understand the connections with perceived addictive traits. The review highlights the critical importance of supporting children’s agency and digital citizenship skills from a young age, including the ability to critique content, balance screen-time with non-screen time and to develop self-control and self-regulation as a means to promote long-term positive outcomes for children in their digital lifeworlds and beyond.

scholarly journals Association of screen time with long-term stress and temperament in preschoolers: results from the DAGIS study

2020 ◽  
Vol 179 (11) ◽  
pp. 1805-1812
Author(s):  
Marja H. Leppänen ◽  
Katri Sääksjärvi ◽  
Henna Vepsäläinen ◽  
Carola Ray ◽  
Pauliina Hiltunen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Socioeconomic Status ◽  
Preschool Children ◽  
Young Children ◽  
Screen Time ◽  
Effortful Control ◽  
Cortisol Concentration ◽  
Hair Cortisol ◽  
Moderating Role

Abstract Screen time is increasing rapidly in young children. The aim of this study was to examine associations of long-term stress and temperament with screen time in Finnish preschool children and the moderating role of socioeconomic status. Cross-sectional DAGIS data were utilized. Long-term stress was assessed using hair cortisol concentration, indicating values of the past 2 months. Temperament was reported by the parents using the Children’s Behavior Questionnaire (the Very Short Form), and three broad temperament dimensions were constructed: surgency, negative affectivity, and effortful control. Screen time was reported by the parents over 7 days. The highest education level in the household was used as an indicator of socioeconomic status. In total, 779 children (mean age, 4.7 ± 0.9 years, 52% boys) were included in the study. Of the temperament dimensions, a higher effortful control was associated with less screen time (B = − 6.70, p = 0.002). There was no evidence for an association between hair cortisol concentration and screen time nor a moderating role of socioeconomic status in the associations (p > 0.05). Conclusion: Our findings indicate that preschool children with a higher score in effortful control had less screen time. Because effortful control reflects general self-regulatory abilities, promoting these skills may be effective in reducing screen time in young children. What is Known: • Screen time has increased rapidly during the last decades, and higher screen time has been linked with numerous adverse health consequences in children. • There are no previous studies investigating associations of long-term stress and temperament with screen time in young children. What is New: • Of the temperament dimensions, effortful control was associated with higher screen time in preschool children, but there was no association found between long-term stress and screen time. • Since effortful control reflects general self-regulatory abilities, promoting these skills may be effective in reducing screen time in young children.

Language, Aggression, and Self-Regulation in Young Children

2020 ◽  
pp. 106342662093769
Author(s):  
Robert Clark ◽  
Rosanne Menna ◽  
Annamaria J. McAndrew ◽  
Emily M. Johnson
Keyword(s):  
Young Children ◽  
Physical Aggression ◽  
Community Sample ◽  
Self Regulation ◽  
Self Control ◽  
Language Delays ◽  
Language Abilities ◽  
Specific Language ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Language Meaning

Aggression in early childhood has been found to predict negative outcomes later in life, including delinquency and psychopathology. The present study explored associations between young children’s language, self-regulation, and physical aggression. A community sample of 126 preschool children aged 3 to 6 years ( M = 4.87 years, SD = 0.87; 59% boys) and their mothers participated in the study. Children’s physical aggression and self-regulation were measured by the parents’ report. Children completed measures of intelligence and language. Their language abilities negatively predicted physical aggression. Children’s self-regulation—specifically, inhibitory self-control and emergent metacognition—mediated the relationship between language and physical aggression. The results suggest that, among young children, physical aggression is related to an understanding of language meaning and how that understanding is used to interpret and communicate. The specific language delays implicated may lead to physical aggression through a lag in inhibitory self-control and emergent metacognition. Implications of these findings for assessment and early intervention are highlighted.

scholarly journals Self-control: An integrative framework

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kaitlyn M. Werner ◽  
Brett Quaid Ford
Keyword(s):  
Self Regulation ◽  
Self Control ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Integrative Framework ◽  
Multi Stage ◽  
Stage Process ◽  
Three Stages ◽  
Over Time ◽  
Selection Of

Research on self-control has flourished within the last two decades, with researchers trying to answer one of the most fundamental questions regarding human behaviour – how do we successfully regulate desires in the pursuit of long-term goals? While recent research has focused on different strategies to enhance self-control success, we still know very little about how strategies are implemented or where the need for self-control comes from in the first place. Drawing from parallel fields (e.g., emotion regulation, health) and other theories of self-regulation, we propose a framework that describes self-control as a dynamic, multi-stage process that unfolds over time. In this review, we first provide an overview of this framework, which poses three stages of regulation: the identification of the need for self-control, the selection of strategies to regulate temptations, and the implementation of chosen strategies. These regulatory stages are then flexibly monitored over time. We then propose a series of questions to organize existing literature by highlighting what we already know, what we need to learn, and methodological recommendations for future research. Finally, we conclude by highlighting the need to bridge across disciplines, thereby improving our understanding of how self-control unfolds in everyday life and across different domains.

scholarly journals Motivation and self-regulation: The role of want-to motivation in the processes underlying self-regulation and self-control

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kaitlyn M. Werner ◽  
Marina Milyavskaya
Keyword(s):  
Goal Attainment ◽  
Self Regulation ◽  
Goal Pursuit ◽  
Self Control ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Regulatory Processes ◽  
Integral Role

Research on self-regulation has largely focused on the idea of effortful self-control, which assumes that exerting willpower will lead to greater success. However, in recent years, research has challenged this perspective and instead proposes that effortless self-regulation is more adaptive for long-term goal pursuit. Taking into consideration the burgeoning literature on effortless self-regulation, here we propose that motivation – or the reasons why we pursue our goals – plays an integral role in this process. The objective of the present paper is thus to highlight how motivation can play a role in how self-regulation unfolds. Specifically, we propose that pursuing goals because you want-to (vs. have-to) is associated with better goal attainment as a function of experiencing less temptations and obstacles. While the reason why want-to motivation relates to experiencing fewer obstacles has yet to be thoroughly explored, here we propose some potential mechanisms drawing from recent research on self-regulation. We also provide recommendations for future research, highlighting the importance of considering motivation in the study of self-regulatory processes.

Beyond Self-Control: Mechanisms of Hedonic Goal Pursuit and Its Relevance for Well-Being

2020 ◽  
pp. 014616722094199
Author(s):  
Katharina Bernecker ◽  
Daniela Becker
Keyword(s):  
Everyday Life ◽  
Self Regulation ◽  
Intrusive Thoughts ◽  
Goal Pursuit ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Self Control ◽  
Control Mechanisms ◽  
Positive Outcomes ◽  
Hedonic Capacity

Self-control helps to align behavior with long-term goals (e.g., exercising to stay fit) and shield it from conflicting hedonic goals (e.g., relaxing). Decades of research have shown that self-control is associated with numerous positive outcomes, such as well-being. In the present article, we argue that hedonic goal pursuit is equally important for well-being, and that conflicting long-term goals can undermine it in the form of intrusive thoughts. In Study 1, we developed a measure of trait hedonic capacity, which captures people’s success in hedonic goal pursuit and the occurrence of intrusive thoughts. In Studies 2A and 2B, people’s trait hedonic capacity relates positively to well-being. Study 3 confirms intrusive thoughts as major impeding mechanism of hedonic success. Studies 4 and 5 demonstrate that trait hedonic capacity predicts successful hedonic goal pursuit in everyday life. We conclude that hedonic goal pursuit represents a largely neglected but adaptive aspect of self-regulation.

scholarly journals Adherence to 24-h movement behavior guidelines and psychosocial functioning in young children: a longitudinal analysis

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachael W. Taylor ◽  
Jillian J. Haszard ◽  
Dione Healey ◽  
Kim A. Meredith-Jones ◽  
Barry J. Taylor ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Physical Activity ◽  
Psychosocial Functioning ◽  
Screen Time ◽  
Self Regulation ◽  
Self Control ◽  
Movement Behavior ◽  
Mental Wellbeing ◽  
Compositional Approach ◽  
Significant Relationships

Abstract Background A recent paradigm shift has highlighted the importance of considering how sleep, physical activity and sedentary behaviour work together to influence health, rather than examining each behaviour individually. We aimed to determine how adherence to 24-h movement behavior guidelines from infancy to the preschool years influences mental health and self-regulation at 5 years of age. Methods Twenty-four hour movement behaviors were measured by 7-day actigraphy (physical activity, sleep) or questionnaires (screen time) in 528 children at 1, 2, 3.5, and 5 years of age and compared to mental health (anxiety, depression), adaptive skills (resilience), self-regulation (attentional problems, hyperactivity, emotional self-control, executive functioning), and inhibitory control (Statue, Head-Toes-Knees-Shoulders task) outcomes at 5 years of age. Adjusted standardised mean differences (95% CI) were determined between those who did and did not achieve guidelines at each age. Results Children who met physical activity guidelines at 1 year of age (38.7%) had lower depression (mean difference [MD]: -0.28; 95% CI: -0.51, -0.06) and anxiety (MD: -0.23; 95% CI: -0.47, 0.00) scores than those who did not. At the same age, sleeping for 11–14 h or having consistent wake and sleep times was associated with lower anxiety (MD: -0.34; 95% CI: -0.66, -0.02) and higher resilience (MD: 0.35; 95% CI: 0.03, 0.68) scores respectively. No significant relationships were observed at any other age or for any measure of self-regulation. Children who consistently met screen time guidelines had lower anxiety (MD: -0.43; 95% CI: -0.68, -0.18) and depression (MD: -0.36; 95% CI: -0.62, -0.09) scores at 5. However, few significant relationships were observed for adherence to all three guidelines; anxiety scores were lower (MD: -0.42; 95% CI: -0.72, -0.12) in the 20.2% who adhered at 1 year of age, and depression scores were lower (MD: -0.25; 95% CI: -0.48, -0.02) in the 36.7% who adhered at 5 years of age compared with children who did not meet all three guidelines. Conclusions Although adherence to some individual movement guidelines at certain ages throughout early childhood was associated with improved mental health and wellbeing at 5 years of age, particularly reduced anxiety and depression scores, there was little consistency in these relationships. Future work should consider a compositional approach to 24-h time use and how it may influence mental wellbeing. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov number NCT00892983

Teaching the Self-Regulation of Eating

2018 ◽  
Vol 45 (3) ◽  
pp. 284-290
Author(s):  
Erin C. Standen ◽  
Celina R. Furman ◽  
Traci Mann
Keyword(s):  
Scientific Evidence ◽  
Self Regulation ◽  
The Self ◽  
Self Control ◽  
Control Task ◽  
Classroom Activities ◽  
Psychological Theories ◽  
Comfort Food ◽  
Psychology Courses

Although most psychology courses do not include the topic of eating, we believe it can be rewarding to teach because much of the conventional wisdom about eating is wrong. Teachers can use scientific evidence to clarify incorrect, but long-held, beliefs that many students have about eating, including the extent to which weight is under individual control, whether diets are effective in the long term, whether obesity is deadly, and whether comfort food is comforting. Teaching about psychological theories of self-regulation works well in the context of eating because eating is the prototypical self-control task and because most students are aware of the difficulty of controlling eating. In this article, we discuss misconceptions surrounding the psychology of eating and theories of self-control, and we provide easy classroom activities that make the topic of eating fun to teach.

Parasympathetic Concomitants of Habitual, Spontaneous, and Instructed Emotional Suppression

2017 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 78-89 ◽  
Author(s):  
Asmir Gračanin ◽  
Igor Kardum ◽  
Jasna Hudek-Knežević
Keyword(s):  
Negative Emotion ◽  
Self Regulation ◽  
Experimental Manipulation ◽  
Task Demands ◽  
Self Control ◽  
Integration Model ◽  
Sinus Arrhythmia ◽  
Emotional Suppression ◽  
Emotion Experience ◽  
Similar Relation

Abstract. The neurovisceral integration model proposes that different forms of self-regulation, including the emotional suppression, are characterized by the activation of neural network whose workings are also reflected in respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA). However, most of the previous studies failed to observe theoretically expected increases in RSA during emotional suppression. Even when such effects were observed, it was not clear whether they resulted from specific task demands, a decrease in muscle activity, or they were the consequence of more specific self-control processes. We investigated the relation between habitual or trait-like suppression, spontaneous, and instructed suppression with changes in RSA during negative emotion experience. A modest positive correlation between spontaneous situational and habitual suppression was observed across two experimental tasks. Furthermore, the results showed greater RSA increase among participants who experienced higher negative affect (NA) increase and reported higher spontaneous suppression than among those with higher NA increase and lower spontaneous suppression. Importantly, this effect was independent from the habitual suppression and observable facial expressions. The results of the additional task based on experimental manipulation, rather than spontaneous use of situational suppression, indicated a similar relation between suppression and RSA. Our results consistently demonstrate that emotional suppression, especially its self-regulation component, is followed by the increase in parasympathetic activity.

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