Screen exposure in relation to cool and hot executive functions in preschoolers: parenting processes as mediators and parental growth mindset as moderator

Higher screen exposure was related to lower levels of preschoolers' EF, manifesting as difficulties in regulating cognition and emotion. The findings support differential indirect pathways, whereby autonomy support and warmth serve as distinct mediating processes for cool and hot EF, respectively, and these indirect relations are stronger when parents endorse more growth-oriented beliefs. These findings suggest that interventions may benefit from combining developmentally appropriate guidance for managing children's media use with efforts to strengthen autonomy-supportive and warm parenting practices and to cultivate parents' growth mindset.