Associations between emotion regulation, reading habits, and screen use in early childhood in contexts of social vulnerability.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.59471/psicologia2025208Keywords:
Emotional Regulation, Infants, Screen Use, Reading, Social VulnerabilityAbstract
Emotional regulation in early childhood is a fundamental skill for socio-emotional development, as it enables infants to manage the intensity, duration, and expression of their emotions in adaptive ways, promoting psychological well-being, social bonding, and other cognitive abilities. Among the environmental factors that may influence its development are reading habits and screen use. Reading during early childhood, whether individually or shared with an adult, has shown positive effects on emotional and cognitive development. In contrast, screen use may have varying impacts depending on its frequency, content, and modality. This study aimed to assess emotional regulation in infants from vulnerable contexts in the Metropolitan Area of Buenos Aires (AMBA), analyze the frequency of screen use and reading (individual or shared), and explore possible relationships among these variables. A quantitative, non-experimental, correlational, and cross-sectional design was used. The sample consisted of 135 infant–caregiver dyads, with infants aged 12 to 46 months (M = 30.91; SD = 9.01). A sociodemographic questionnaire was used to collect information about caregivers and the family environment, along with a questionnaire on reading and screen use habits, and an adaptation of the Gift Task Paradigm to assess emotional regulation in infants. Results showed that infants who did not open the gift during the task had more books at home, and that both reading frequency and book availability were associated with a greater number of regulatory interventions by the caregiver. Regarding screen use, infants who watched television alone made fewer attempts to open the box and used more autonomous distraction strategies as self-regulation attempts, while shared use of a mobile phone with the caregiver was associated with fewer expressions of anger. It is concluded that certain aspects of the family environment, such as access to books and the caregiver’s active participation in technology use, may support the development of emotional regulation in early childhood.
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