유아 스마트 기기 사용 관련 요인들과 자기조절 능력 발달과의 상관관계

Smart Device Usage-Related Factors are Correlated with Self-Regulation Ability in Early Childhood

Purpose: To investigate the relationship between the smart devices usage-related factors and self-regulation ability development in early childhood. Methods: Parental questionnaires of 187 children aged 3&#8211;6 years were analyzed. The metrics included smart device usage frequency (times/week, scored as uFreq), smart device usage time (hours/day, scored as uTime), parental scale for appropriate smart device usage level (scored as uLevel), the Korean-developmental screening test (K-DST), and the scale for self-regulation ability in young children (scored as SRS, and including four sub-categories: self-appraisal, self-determination, behavior inhibition, and emotionality). The correlations were analyzed by total age group and by each age. Results: In the total age group analysis, uFreq and uTime were negatively correlated with mean SRS (rs= -0.366, -0.330; P<0.001) and sub-category SRS (rs= -0.186 to -0.370; P<0.05). Mean uLevel score was positively correlated with mean SRS (rs=0.406; P<0.001) and most of the mean sub-category SRS (rs=0.174 to 0.362; P<0.05). In 3-year-old children, the mean SRS was strongly negatively correlated with uFreq (rs=-0.751; P<0.001), negatively correlated with uTime (rs=-0.518; P<0.001), and positively correlated with mean uLevel score (rs= 0.533; P=0.013). Such correlations seemed to decrease at the age of 4&#8211;6 years. Conclusion: Self-regulation ability was significantly correlated with smart device-related factors and was the highest in the 3-year-old children. Encouraging appropriate smart device usage will be helpful for self-regulation development of young children.