| Abstract [eng] |
Links between executive functions, internalizing problems, and screen use in preschool children, Vaida Ambroževičienė, Vilnius, VU, 2026, 72 psl. Studies consistently show that screen use in preschool can have various effects on executive functions and lead to internalizing problems, but the connections between them are rarely examined. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the links between executive functions, internalizing problems, and screen time in preschool children. The study analyzed data from 134 preschool children, of whom 57 (42.5%) were girls and 77 (57.5%) were boys, aged 47 to 71 months (M = 58.51, SD = 7.07). On average, children (n = 105) spent about 102.5 minutes (SD = 117.70) per day in front of various screens, and only almost a third of children (n = 38, 28.4%) spent less than 60 minutes in front of screens. Children were assessed for mental set shifting, working memory, inhibitory control, nonverbal reasoning, and planning skills, and parents were asked to complete the Child Behavior Inventory (CBCL 1½-5). This correlational study revealed that children who averaged more than 1 hour per day of screen time had better working memory than those who used screens less. When using only 1 or 2 screens, better inhibitory control is associated with shorter screen time, but when using 3 or more different screens, better inhibitory control is associated with longer screen time, and it is precisely the child's better working memory, through the association with less withdrawal, that increases the time spent on the game console. |
