Open Access

ARTICLE

The Relationship between Parental Phubbing and Problem Behaviors in Preschool Children

Qiulan Gu^1,2, Mei Zhao^1,2,*

1 State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Science and Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
2 Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China

* Corresponding Author: Mei Zhao. Email:

(This article belongs to the Special Issue: Understanding Various Addictive Behaviors in the Digital Era: Types, Prevalence, Predictors, Mechanisms, and Health Consequences)

International Journal of Mental Health Promotion 2025, 27(5), 607-623. https://doi.org/10.32604/ijmhp.2025.062796

Received 27 December 2024; Accepted 17 April 2025; Issue published 05 June 2025

Abstract

Objectives: With the widespread adoption of smartphones, parental phubbing behaviors have become increasingly prevalent, potentially affecting preschool children’s development. Current research primarily focuses on adolescent populations, while the mechanisms through which parental phubbing and authoritarian parenting style influence preschool children’s behavioral problems within the Chinese cultural context remain to be explored. Our investigation seeks to examine the factors contributing to behavioral difficulties among children of preschool age and provide theoretical guidance for prevention. Methods: In our research, we utilized a convenience sampling approach to collect data from parents whose children (n = 612) were between 3 and 7 years of age. The questionnaire distribution was facilitated via the Wenjuanxing online survey platform. Research instruments included the Parental Phubbing Scale, Parent-Child Relationship Scale, Authoritarian Parenting Style Scale, and Conners Child Behavior Rating Scale. For analytical procedures, we employed SPSS 24.0 to generate descriptive statistics and correlation analysis. Chain mediation effects were examined via Process macro, while significance assessment of the mediating effects relied on the Bootstrap method for constructing 95% confidence intervals. Results: A statistically significant positive association was observed between parental phubbing and behavioral problems exhibited by children (r = 0.251, p < 0.001). Parental phubbing exhibited a significant direct effect on children’s behavioral problems (β = 0.088, p < 0.001). Analysis of sequential mediation demonstrated that authoritarian parenting style together with parent-child conflict functioned as significant intermediary variables in the relationship between parental phubbing and children’s problem behaviors (β = 0.163, p < 0.001), with these indirect pathways constituting 64.94% of the total effect. Conclusion: Parental phubbing significantly contributes to behavioral problems in preschool children. Parents should monitor their media use, improve their parenting approach, and enhance parent-child relationships to reduce behavioral problems in preschool children.

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Keywords

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