Temperament, Self‐Regulation, and Problematic Media Use in Chinese Preschoolers: Chain Mediation Models

Problematic media use (PMU) presents increasing challenges for young children in the digital age. Grounded in the Interactional Theory of Childhood Problematic Media Use and social cognitive theory, this study examined the chain mediating roles of cognitive self‐regulation (CSR) and emotional/behavioral self‐regulation (EBSR) in the relationship between temperament (negative affectivity [NA] and effortful control [EC]) and PMU. Participants included 456 Chinese preschoolers (238 boys, M age = 5.57 years, SD age = 0.74) and their parents (68 fathers, M age = 36.74 years, SD age = 5.18; 385 mothers, M age = 35.79 years, SD age = 4.49). Parent‐reported questionnaires assessed children’s temperament, PMU, and digital self‐regulation. The results indicated that NA positively predicted PMU ( r = 0.29), whereas EC negatively predicted PMU ( r = −0.18). CSR and EBSR sequentially mediated the association between temperament and PMU, serving as complementary mediators for NA and indirect‐only mediators for EC (indirect effects ranged from −0.01 to −0.08). These findings highlight the influence of digital self‐regulation on the temperament–PMU link, informing preventative interventions for young children’s digital media use.