CONTEMPORARY STUDIES ON THE FIELD OF CHILD DEVELOPMENT
This study in which high proportion of digital technology usage of parents is associated with insufficient parent-child interaction, no relationship was determined between the high proportion of digital technology usage of parents and child behavior in the studied children. In this study, the interruptions between the parent and child as a result of excessive technology usage of parents were defined as “technoference” and it was researched whether or not technoference has relation with the problems in the behavior of children. In a study, children with the age average of approximately 3 were selected from 170 USA families, the actor-partner interdependence model was performed and according to this it was reported that the effect of technology usage of both parents on child behavior causes more behavior disorder than the separate effects of technology usage of mother, technology usage of father, mother-child interaction and father-child interaction. It was determined that maternal technology causes externalizing and internalizing behaviors on children and as a result, technology interactions of parents is related to behavior problems of children.
In another study, it was researched that while talking to their babies, mothers change their voices but there are various situations for fathers. The interactions between 30 fathers and their babies were studied in two small scale societies in Vanuatu and North America. In the study, fathers’ fundamental frequency (F0) and speaking speed in conversation towards adults and baby focused were measured. In both groups, it was determined that frequency speeds of Vanuatu fathers are increased while speaking. On the contrary, it was determined that speaking speeds of North American fathers are slowed while talking to their babies. The solution of behavioral characteristics and similar communicative problems may differ according to the remote cultures.
In another study conducted by Fulya Eroğlu in our country in May 2018, the effect of psychological well-being in married women and men on parental attitude was examined. In the study, 288 women and 47 men who are married and have a child between the ages of 2-6 were used. According to the model, the effect of psychological well-being on parental attitude was researched, then the relationship between parental behavior and psychological well-being was analyzed according to the demographic variables. As a result of the research it was concluded that psychological well-being has a statistically significant effect on parental behavior. The population of the study consists of married women and men who have a child between the age group of 2-6. The research was performed on a total of 335 people, 288 women and 47 men, who are living in various socio-economic districts of Istanbul. In the research, demographic features such as gender, age, education status, monthly household income, number of children and employment status were acknowledged, then Psychological Well Being and Parental Attitude Scales were performed on these participants.
Well-being of the parent affects the relationship with the child. As the psychological well-being increases, democratic and permissive attitude increases and authoritarian attitude decreases. Because as the psychological well-being of parents increases, their level of building positive relations with others gets affected, thus, it is considered that it is reflected on parental role and affects the communication with the child. When we look at the education status and parental attitude, it was concluded that as the education status increases, they become significantly more authoritarian and protective. When the parental attitude is examined according to employment status, it was determined that working parents are significantly more authoritarian and protective than unemployed parents. When psychological well-being and gender were examined, it was determined that women have higher levels of psychological well-being than men. When the relationship between psychological well-being and income is examined, it was concluded that as the level of income increases, there would be an increase in the psychological well-being as well. Income, in terms of increasing the quality of life, affects the psychological well-being of people. According to this, employed parent has a better psychological well-being than unemployed parent. According to the result of the research, it was determined that as the psychological well-being levels of parents increase, their tendencies on presenting democratic parental behavior would increase as well. Psychologically well parents can be individuals that can establish rules and at the same time exhibit love to their children. The children whose parents care about their opinions and are approached democratic by being presented options, can become more independent, self-confident and individuals with a higher satisfaction with life when they become adults. Well-being of parents makes the child healthier in terms of social, emotional, cognitive and psychological. Well-being of the child makes parents feel better. In contrary situations where children are exposed to authoritarian and oppressive attitudes by their parents, they may become ill-tempered, stubborn, introvert and self-distrust. This situation decreases the well-being of parents and the parents with the decreased well-being affect the child worse. It was stated that the children who were raised with this attitude has a high chance of exhibiting similar attitudes towards their children. It is suggested that besides trainings that tell how parents should treat to their children, trainings, television programs, newspapers and publishing that can lead parents in terms of enabling them to social activity fields they can participate in, increase the well-being of them and support their spousal relations to be of high quality should become widespread.
