Predicting Media Use in Very Young Children: The Role of Demographics and Parent Attitudes

Abstract

This study used a survey design (N = 168) to examine how parent and child demographics, parental media-use motives, parental subjective norms, and parental attitudes toward preschool media use (PMU) are all related to actual media exposure among children 6 months to 5 years in age. Results indicate that, in accordance with the theory of reasoned action, parents’ perceived subjective norms regarding various categories of media were significantly related to actual child consumption. Further, positive attitudes toward media were significantly related to higher rates of child consumption. Interestingly, parental worries about media were only negatively related to television consumption and unrelated to child exposure to other kinds of media.

Keywords:

• Attitudes
• Demographics
• Media
• Parents
• Very Young Children

Notes

Note. Child age, number of parents in household, and parent education entered as control variables; reported coefficients are standardized beta weights.

*p < .05. **p < .01.

Note. Child age, number of parents in household, and parent education entered as control variables; reported coefficients are standardized beta weights.

*p < .05. **p < .01.

Note. Child age, number of parents in household, and parent education entered as control variables; reported coefficients are standardized beta weights.

*p < .05.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Drew P. Cingel

Drew P. Cingel (MA, 2012, Wake Forest University) is a Doctoral Student in the School of Communication at Northwestern University.

Marina Krcmar

Marina Krcmar (PhD, 1995, University of Wisconsin-Madison) is a Visiting Associate Professor in the Department of Communication at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.