Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 24, 2025
Measuring Cardiac Autonomic Nervous System ANS Activity in Toddlers - Resting and Developmental Challenges
Published on: February 25, 2016
Are Parents Less Responsive to Young Children When They Are on Their Phones? A Systematic Naturalistic Observation
Mariek M P Vanden Abeele1, Monika Abels2, Andrew T Hendrickson3
1Department of Cognition and Communication, Tilburg Center for Cognition and Communication, Tilburg University, Tilburg, Netherlands.
Insights
Parental phone use significantly reduces responsiveness to young children's bids for attention. Even brief phone engagement lowers parent responsiveness, impacting child development.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Human-Computer Interaction
- Sociology of the Family
Background:
- Parental responsiveness is crucial for early child development.
- Increasing mobile phone use presents potential challenges to parent-child interactions.
- Understanding the impact of digital device use on parenting is essential.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between parental phone use and responsiveness to young children's bids for attention.
- To quantify the effect of phone use on the quality and timeliness of parental responses.
- To explore factors moderating the impact of phone use, such as intensity and absorption.
Main Methods:
- Systematic observation of 53 parent-child dyads in naturalistic settings (waiting rooms, playgrounds).
- Recording parent and child behaviors across 1,038 ten-second intervals, noting child bids for attention.
- Statistical analysis using nested data models to compare parental responsiveness during phone use versus non-use.
Main Results:
- Parents were five times less likely to respond to child bids for attention when using a phone.
- Parental responses were less timely, weaker, showed less affect, and were less child-prioritized during phone use.
- Full phone absorption significantly decreased responsiveness, while occasional glancing did not, suggesting a "dual attention" mode.
Conclusions:
- Parental phone use, particularly full absorption, negatively impacts responsiveness to young children.
- Findings highlight potential risks to child development due to reduced quality of parent-child interaction.
- Social desirability bias may influence observed phone use rates when consent is obtained beforehand.
Abstract:
This study examined whether parents are less responsive to their young children (0-5) when they use a phone. We systematically observed 53 parent-child dyads in consultation bureau waiting rooms and playgrounds. Twenty-three parents used their phone at least once during the observation. Across the dyads, we observed parent and child behavior during a total of 1,038 ten-second intervals. Of these intervals, 641 contained a bid for attention from the child. Accounting for the nested nature of the data, we found that the odds of parents responding to their child's bid for attention were five times lower when using a phone than when not using one. Moreover, parents' responses were less timely, weaker, showed less affect, and were less likely to prioritize the child over other activities. While being fully absorbed in one's phone significantly decreased the odds of responding compared to when not using a phone, occasionally glancing at the phone did not, suggesting that parents may have developed a "mode" of phone use for managing dual attention over the phone and the child. In addition, while a higher intensity of phone use does seem to matter, it did not differ from intense engagement in other nonchild directed activities. The incidence of fully absorbed phone use, however, is greater. Finally, the results show that asking for consent for the observation beforehand leads to a decrease in the odds of phone use, suggesting a social desirability bias. Overall, the findings support concerns over the impact of parental phone use on child development.
More Related Videos
14:05Behavioral Assessment of Hearing in 2 to 4 Year-old Children: A Two-interval, Observer-based Procedure Using Conditioned Play-based Responses
Published on: January 23, 2017
08:59The Other End of the Leash: An Experimental Test to Analyze How Owners Interact with Their Pet Dogs
Published on: October 13, 2017
Related Concept Videos
02:30Naturalistic Observations
01:28Relationship with Parents: Attachment
00:55Parental Care
01:27Parenting Styles
Authoritarian Parenting
This style is strict and controlling, with little room for open dialogue. Authoritarian parents demand obedience and often enforce rules with minimal warmth. Children raised this way may lack social skills and initiative, usually comparing themselves to others unfavorably.
Authoritative...
01:30Socioemotional Development during Infancy
Primary Temperament Types
03:34Theory of Romantic Attachment in Adulthood