Investigating the Mediating role of Using Screens in the Relationship Between Parent's Reflective Function and Cognitive Skills in Preschool Children

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Master’s degree in clinical psychology, Department of Psychology, Faculty of education and psychology, Alzahra University,Tehran, Iran.

2 Professor, Department of Psychology, Faculty of education and psychology, Alzahra University,Tehran, Iran.

3 Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, Faculty of education and psychology, Alzahra University,Tehran, Iran.

10.48308/apsy.2025.241549.1900

Abstract

Aim: The study examine the relationship between parental reflective functioning and cognitive skills in preschool children, with the mediating role of screen time.
Method: study was theoretical–fundamental in terms of purpose and correlational with a structural equation modeling approach in terms of method. The population included mothers of 4-to 6-year-old children in Tehran in 2023, and a sample of 201 mothers was selected using convenience sampling. Data were collected using Parental Reflective Functioning Questionnaire (Luyten, 2017), Ages and Stages Questionnaire (Squires & Bricker, 1989), and the Screen Time Questionnaire (Clarke et al., 2020). Data analysis was conducted using SPSS-26 and Smart PLS-4 with structural equation modeling.
Results: The findings indicated significant relationships among parental reflective functioning, screen time, and cognitive skills in preschool children. Parental reflective functioning had a positive effect on screen time (β = 0.61, t = 15.09, p < 0.01), while screen time had a negative effect on children’s cognitive skills (β = −0.18, t = 1.97, p < 0.05). Moreover, parental reflective functioning was positively related to cognitive skills (β = 0.23, t = 2.00, p < 0.05). results suggest that screen time mediates the relationship between parental reflective functioning and children’s cognitive skills.
Conclusion: parental reflective functioning influence children’s cognitive skills directly and indirectly through screen time. It is recommended that parents enhance their reflective functioning and manage the duration and content of screen use to support the cognitive development of preschool children.

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

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