The role of parental stress in the relationship between preschool children's behavioural problems and parents' attitudes and children's problematic media use

KÜÇÜKKELEPÇE A., DEMİRCİOĞLU H.

EARLY CHILD DEVELOPMENT AND CARE, vol.195, no.11, pp.1126-1144, 2025 (SSCI, Scopus) identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 195 Issue: 11
  • Publication Date: 2025
  • Doi Number: 10.1080/03004430.2025.2550662
  • Journal Name: EARLY CHILD DEVELOPMENT AND CARE
  • Journal Indexes: Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), Scopus, IBZ Online, Child Development & Adolescent Studies, Education Abstracts, Educational research abstracts (ERA), ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), MLA - Modern Language Association Database, Psycinfo
  • Page Numbers: pp.1126-1144
  • Hacettepe University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

This study explores the relationship between preschool children's problematic media use, behavioural problems, and their parents' styles and stress levels, also examining whether parental stress mediates this relationship. The study was designed as a correlational study and 415 parents of children aged 4-6 years participated in the study. Data were collected using the Problematic Media Use Scale (PMUM), the Social Competence and Behavior Evaluation-30 Scale (SCBE-30), the Parental Attitude Scale (PAS), and the Turkish version of the Parental Stress Scale (PSS). Results revealed that parental stress, parenting styles, and children's behavioural problems explained 33% of the variance in problematic media use. Parental stress significantly mediated the relationship between problematic media use and Democratic, Authoritarian, and Overprotective parenting attitudes, as well as the Social Competence and Anger-Aggression subscales. These findings underscore the critical role of parental stress and behavioural dynamics in the development of problematic media habits in early childhood.