Theses and Dissertations

ORCID

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2833-2675

Advisor

Burke, Benjamin

Committee Member

Elmore-Staton, Lori

Committee Member

Robertson, Mary

Committee Member

Clark, Susan

Date of Degree

5-15-2026

Original embargo terms

Visible MSU Only 2 Years

Document Type

Dissertation - Campus Access Only

Major

Human Development & Family Science

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

College

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

Department

School of Human Sciences

Abstract

Leisure activities are an important part of family life. Video gaming is among the most popular solo, social, and familial leisure activities (Entertainment Software Association [ESA], 2024). In this dissertation, two studies were conducted to examine the links between family leisure and children’s socioemotional development. The first study combines two distinct research phenomena (i.e., parental mediation and parental emotion socialization; Eisenberg et al., 1998; Nikken, 2003; Nikken & Jansz, 2006) to investigate parent-child interactions during video gaming and their associations with children’s emotion regulation and socioemotional outcomes. The second study examines family conflict during leisure and links it with children’s emotional security, socioemotional outcomes, and family functioning. The sample consists of 175 parents (119 mothers and 56 fathers; M = 41.66, SD = 6.70) who had a child living with them (71 girls and 104 boys; M = 8.96, SD = 1.87). Two SEMs were estimated to examine the proposed mediation models (see Figures 1 and 8). In Study 1, parent-child coplaying and parental cognitive reappraisal were found to be protective factors against children’s socioemotional problems, whereas parental unsupportive emotion socialization and expressive encouragement were found to be risk factors for children’s socioemotional problems. In Study 2, destructive interparental conflict during family leisure was found to be a risk factor for children’s emotional security, their socioemotional development, and family functioning. In contrast, constructive interparental conflict during family leisure was found to be a protective factor for children’s socioemotional development and family functioning. The implications of these two studies were discussed for future theoretical, empirical, and applied studies.

Sponsorship (Optional)

Fulbright Ph.D. Grant

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