Honors Theses
Date of Award
Spring 5-1-2026
Document Type
Undergraduate Thesis
Department
Psychology
First Advisor
Stephanie E. Miller
Second Advisor
Bill Day
Third Advisor
Timothy Yenter
Relational Format
Early digital exposure–behavioral regulation, early digital exposure–emotion understanding, screen time–social-emotional development, screen use–executive functioning, parent-child interaction–media use, toddlers–emotional development
Abstract
Research demonstrates screen use in early childhood, with 70% of children watching TV by the age of two. Increased screen time often relates to lower developmental outcomes, including the development of emotion understanding (i.e., identifying and interpreting emotions) and regulation behavioral regulation (managing and expressing behaviors). However, most studies are done during preschool and childhood. The present study collected toddlers’ behavioral data and parent report data for 2- to 3-year-olds. Screen use was measured by parent reported time on screens during the week and weekend. Behavioral regulation was measured using the 25 item Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Emotion understanding was measured with an adapted version of the Affect Knowledge Test examining toddlers’ expressive and receptive emotion understanding of stories acted out by puppets. Results indicated that screen time (both weekday and weekend) was not significantly related to behavioral regulation or emotion understanding While these findings suggest that screen exposure was not significantly associated with behavioral regulation or emotion understanding in this sample, more work is needed with larger samples in the toddler years.
Recommended Citation
Schulman, Eva Kennedy, "Tiny Screens, Big Feelings: How Early Digital Exposure Relates to Behavioral Regulation and Emotion Understanding in Toddlers" (2026). Honors Theses. 3488.
https://egrove.olemiss.edu/hon_thesis/3488
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.
Comments
This thesis examines the relationship between early digital exposure and key aspects of toddler development, specifically behavioral regulation and emotional understanding. Using a combination of caregiver-reported screen time and in-lab developmental assessments, this study explores how media use may relate to early social-emotional skills during a critical developmental period. While no significant associations were found, the findings highlight the importance of continued research in toddler populations and contribute to ongoing conversations about screen use, early development, and implications for caregivers and practitioners.