Graduation Term

2019

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Department of Psychology: School Psychology

Committee Chair

Leandra . Parris

Abstract

Research has shown links between parenting practice and children’s social development. However, there is little research examining the role of parental technology use or technoference, which is the disruption caused by technology. In this study, parental technology use, child attachment style, maternal insularity, and children’s development of social skills were examined. Rating scales examining theses variables were completed by 80 mothers-child dyads between the ages of 18 and 50 with children between 6 and 10 years old. Confirmatory factor and measurement invariance analyses were conducted to examine and confirm the psychometric properties of each scale used in this study. Linear regression analyses were conducted to examine the associations between (a) parental technoference and attachment styles, (b) children’s social skills and parental technoference, and (c) maternal insularity and parental technoference. Furthermore, hierarchical linear regression analyses were conducted to examine the effect of attachment on the relation between parental technoference and children’s social skills. A greater frequency of technoference was associated with lower levels of attachment security as rated by mothers and children, lower levels of social skills as rated by mothers, and more problem behaviors, internalizing concerns, and externalizing concerns as rated by mothers and children. Attachment security was found to moderate the relationship between technoference and externalizing concerns, but not between technoference and social skills, problem behaviors, or internalizing concerns. Further, given the finding that mothers receive social and emotional support through their use of technology. Thus, it is important for mothers to separate spending time with their child without technoference to help support their child’s social and emotional development, and spending time on technology devices in order to receive social and emotional support.

Access Type

Dissertation-Open Access

DOI

https://doi.org/10.30707/ETD2020.1603713861842

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Psychology Commons

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