Exploring the relationship between young children’s digital technology use and their executive functioning.
| dc.contributor.author | Daly, Jennifer | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2022-09-16T00:14:58Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2022-09-16T00:14:58Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2022 | en |
| dc.description.abstract | Digital technology has become part of daily life for young children. This has raised concerns about the effect this regular usage, during a sensitive, and important period of development, could have on cognitive development, especially young children’s executive function. Executive functions are a number of cognitive processes that are required to plan, concentrate, and pay attention, and are involved in every aspect of life. The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between three aspects of young children’s digital technology use namely; time, type of digital media, and content of digital media with two core executive functions; inhibition, and working memory. This was achieved by asking parents of young children aged three to six to complete an online survey including the Childhood Executive Functioning Inventory, and questions about young children’s digital technology use. Pearson's correlation’s revealed increased total time spent using digital technology was associated with poorer inhibition and working memory, with increased time spent using passive digital media was only associated with poorer inhibition scores. Whereas, there was no relationship between time spent using interactive digital media and either inhibition or working memory. Furthermore, the study found educational and entertainment digital media content had different effects on young children’s executive functioning. However, there was no significant difference in young children’s reported inhibition and working memory between those who used only passive digital media, and those who used both passive and interactive digital media. Study findings suggest a complex relationship between young children’s digital technology use and their executive function. | en |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://hdl.handle.net/10092/104455 | |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://dx.doi.org/10.26021/13552 | |
| dc.language | English | |
| dc.language.iso | en | en |
| dc.rights | All Rights Reserved | en |
| dc.rights.uri | https://canterbury.libguides.com/rights/theses | en |
| dc.title | Exploring the relationship between young children’s digital technology use and their executive functioning. | en |
| dc.type | Theses / Dissertations | en |
| thesis.degree.discipline | Psychology | en |
| thesis.degree.grantor | University of Canterbury | en |
| thesis.degree.level | Masters | en |
| thesis.degree.name | Master of Arts | en |
| uc.bibnumber | 3187644 | |
| uc.college | Faculty of Arts | en |