The Structural Relationship Between Mothers’ Smart Media Literacy, Smart Media Mediation, Young Children’s Overdependence on Smart Devices, and Executive Function

Objectives: This study aimed to examine the structural relationships among mothers’ smart media literacy, smart media mediation, young children’s overdependence on smart devices, and executive function.Methods: The Participants comprised 205 children aged 3 to 5 years old, and their mothers. The Early Years Toolbox (EYT) was used to measure young children’s executive function. The data obtained were analyzed using Cronbach’s α, frequency analysis, descriptive statistics, one-way ANOVA analysis, and partial correlation analysis with SPSS 25.0. Bootstrapping was used to examine the mediating effect while the Structural Equation Model (SEM) analysis was performed using AMOS 22.0.Results: First, young children’s executive function was positively associated with mothers’ smart media literacy and smart media mediation but negatively associated with young children’s overdependence on smart devices. Second, mothers’ smart media mediation and young children’s overdependence on smart devices sequentially mediated the relationship between mothers’ smart media literacy and young children’s executive function. It was also found that mothers’ smart media mediation partially mediated the relationship between mothers’ smart media literacy and young children’s executive function.Conclusion: These findings highlight the importance of mothers’ smart media literacy and smart media mediation for young children’s executive function and emphasize the need of prevention for overdependence on smart devices in facilitating executive function development in early childhood.

Relationships Among Maternal Interactive Behaviors, Preschoolers’ Hot and Cool Executive Function, and Conscience

Objectives: Preschoolers’ conscience refers to a concept revolving around moral emotion, cognition and behavior. This study investigates the relationships among preschoolers’ conscience, hot and cool executive function, and maternal interactive behaviors. Furthermore, it examines the mediating role of preschoolers’ executive function in the relationship between maternal interactive behaviors and preschoolers’ conscience.Methods: Participants comprised 220 mothers and teachers engaging with preschoolers. Data were collected during the COVID-19 period. Therefore, a research process, which suited the changing operations of day-care centers and kindergartens due to social distancing, was adopted. The mothers answered questionnaires on preschoolers’ conscience and maternal interactive behaviors, and the teachers on hot and cool executive function. Obtained data were analyzed using correlations, multiple regression, hierarchical regression, and bootstrapping.Results: Results revealed that the preschoolers’ conscience was significantly related to maternal interactive behaviors and preschoolers’ hot and cool executive function. The preschoolers’ executive function mediated the effect of maternal interactive behaviors on their conscience. Specifically, the plannning and organizing of the executive function fully mediated the relationship between maternal efficient interactive behaviors and preschoolers’ internalized conduct. The bootstrapping result suggested that the indirect effect is statistically significant.Conclusion: This study explored an area of morality that is less researched and incorporated the importance of executive function into it. Additionally, the results confirmed the mediating effect of preschoolers’ executive function on their conscience. The results obtained are expected to help organize activities for developing morality.