The Power of Motivation: How Preschoolers’ Learning Behaviors Moderate the Effects of Maternal Media Literacy on South Korean Preschoolers’ Digital Literacy

Abstract

This study examined whether preschoolers’ learning behaviors moderate the process through which maternal media literacy influences their digital literacy via mother–child verbal interaction. A total of 514 South Korean mothers of 5-year-old children participated in the study by completing a structured questionnaire. Data were analyzed using the PROCESS macro (Models 4 and 15), which tested both mediation and moderated mediation effects. Maternal media literacy was found to be positively associated with children’s digital literacy both directly and indirectly through verbal interaction. More importantly, among the three learning behavior dimensions, competence motivation significantly moderated the effect of mother–child verbal interaction on children’s digital literacy. Specifically, children with higher competence motivation benefited more from mother–child verbal interaction, whereas those with lower motivation did not show significant gains. Attention/Persistence significantly moderated the effect of maternal media literacy on children's digital literacy. Specifically, children with low and middle attention/persistence benefited more from maternal media literacy. These findings suggest that the effectiveness of maternal media literacy on children’s digital development depends not only on verbal engagement but also on the child’s individual characteristics. Implications are discussed for developing family-centered digital literacy interventions that consider both parental practices and children’s learning dispositions.