Abstract

Media emotion regulation (MER), or the use of media to help children manage emotions, may influence children's development by shaping opportunities for practicing self-regulatory skills. Guided by the Dynamic, Relational, Ecological Approach to Media Effects Research (DREAMER) model, this study examined longitudinal associations between MER and executive functioning (EF) in early childhood and explored whether respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA), a physiological index of regulation, predicted developmental changes. Participants included 175 parent-child dyads assessed across two annual waves when children were approximately 4 and 5 years old. Structural equation modeling was used to test bidirectional associations between MER and EF while accounting for autoregressive stability and demographic covariates. Results indicated strong stability in both MER and EF across time. Greater EF difficulties predicted increased MER one year later, whereas the association between earlier MER and later EF difficulties was positive but weaker. Physiological measures of regulation did not predict later MER or EF. Findings highlight the importance of considering children's regulatory abilities and family contexts when examining media use patterns and suggest that children's self-regulatory challenges may contribute to greater reliance on media for emotion regulation.

Degree

MS

College and Department

Family, Home, and Social Sciences; Family Life

Rights

https://lib.byu.edu/about/copyright/

Date Submitted

2026-08-05

Document Type

Thesis

Keywords

media use, emotion regulation, executive function, physiological regulation, early childhood

Language

english

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