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Electronic Gaming: Associations with Self-Regulation, Emotional Difficulties and Academic Performance

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Digital Childhoods

Abstract

Drawing on data from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (LSAC), this chapter reports on the use of electronic games by young children (8–9 years old) and the associations with cognitive self-regulation, academic performance (mathematics, language and literacy) and emotional difficulties 2 years later when children were 10–11 years of age. Results indicated that, compared to children who played electronic games for 120 min or less per week, playing games for between 121 and 240 min per week was associated with better scores on Language and Literacy and Mathematical Thinking at 10 to 11 years of age. Conversely, the use of electronic games for more than an hour per day (more than 421 min per week) was associated with lower cognitive self-regulation and an increase in emotional difficulties at 10–11 years of age.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia

    Sue Walker & Susan J. Danby

  2. Faculty of Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia

    Maria Hatzigianni

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  1. Sue Walker
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  2. Maria Hatzigianni
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Correspondence to Sue Walker .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Education, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

    Susan J. Danby

  2. Faculty of Education, Monash University, Frankston, Victoria, Australia

    Marilyn Fleer

  3. School of Education, Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, Australia

    Christina Davidson

  4. Faculty of Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

    Maria Hatzigianni

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Walker, S., Hatzigianni, M., Danby, S.J. (2018). Electronic Gaming: Associations with Self-Regulation, Emotional Difficulties and Academic Performance. In: Danby, S., Fleer, M., Davidson, C., Hatzigianni, M. (eds) Digital Childhoods. International Perspectives on Early Childhood Education and Development, vol 22. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-6484-5_6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-6484-5_6

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