The Effect of Maternal Smartphone Distraction on Mother-Child Learning-Based Interaction

This study assessed the effects of maternal smartphone distraction on mother-child, learning-based interaction. Relying on maternal scaffolding studies and the importance of maternal tutoring, this study determined whether and how a mother being distracted by a smartphone affects three aspects of learning-based interactions: task performance, the child’s reactions, and the mother’s reactions. The study focuses on five measures: task completion time, number of errors, child input, maternal input, and number of parts assembled by the mother. Seventy-two mothers and their 3- to 6-year-old children (33 girls) participated in this mixed-methods study using both within-subject and between-subject designs. Interrupted and uninterrupted joint mother-child interactions were compared. The findings revealed that maternal smartphone distractions increased task completion time, child’s input, and mother’s assembly, but decreased mother’s input. As mother-child interaction is important for child development, these findings raise developmental concerns caused by maternal smartphone distraction during child tutoring.