Conference Agenda

Background

Digital media is ubiquitous and central to the lives of adults and children. Child screen use is widely debated, mainly due to concerns about potential risks. Yet before risks can be meaningfully discussed, it is crucial to know if and how young children use digital media. In Switzerland, no official data on preschool children’s media use existed prior to the SWIPE study, the first nationwide investigation of digital media use among 0–5-year-olds.

Methods

A total of 3,672 parents (83% mothers) living in Switzerland completed an online survey about one of their children aged 0–5. Participants were distributed across linguistic regions (Swiss German: n=2056; Swiss French: n=1308; Swiss Italian: n=308). Children included 48% girls, with age groups ranging from infancy to age 5. The survey assessed demographics and children’s digital media use, including screentime, content, and context.

Results

Across ages, the most frequently used devices were smartphones (69%), streaming services (47%), and cable TV (46%). Daily time on digital activities increased with age: from 55 minutes for infants to 97 minutes for 5-year-olds. Restricting analyses to screen-based activities showed lower durations (17 minutes for infants, 52 minutes for 5-year-olds). Content was predominantly age-appropriate (99%), educational (95%), and highly engaging (92%). Parents reported allowing screen use for learning (68%), to gain peace and quiet (63%), and to prepare children for the digital future (41%).

Implications

Findings will be compared with international data and discussed in relation to child screen use recommendations, with attention to content and context beyond screentime alone.

It is acknowledged that artificial intelligence (AI) literacy is essential in the 21st century and should be fostered from early childhood onward (Su et al., 2023). AI literacy recently was framed as an extension of computational thinking (Ferraioli et al., 2025). The lack of clarity concerns the concepts of AI that young children have. Children’s drawings have proven to be a valuable method for exploring their initial concepts (Botturi & Addimando, 2025; Giang et al., 2023). Additionally, the question remains how AI literacy can be fostered in a developmentally appropriate manner. Research has shown that concepts of digital transformation can already be explored in kindergarten through guided pretend play (AUTHORS, 2024).

Two research questions (RQ) emerge: (1) What concepts of AI do children in the first and second grades of primary school hold? (2) Which concepts of AI do children explore during pre-tend play, and how is the play guided by teachers?

The poster presents the results from the project’s pilot phase. N = 30 children draw and explain their conceptions of AI. Audio recordings will be analysed employing qualitative content analysis (Mayring, 2015). Additionally, video observations are conducted of two pretend play sequences. A category-based observation grid is used to analyse children’s engagement with AI concepts and the teacher guidance.

The data collection and analysis are ongoing. Results will be presented at the conference. Implications for refining the play ideas and for teacher professional development are discussed.

The development of procedural response learning (RL) in typically developing children (TDC) has been assessed using Serial Reaction Time tasks (SRTT), in which participants respond as fast as possible to the stimulus locations presented in random blocks (RBs) and fixed-sequence blocks (FSBs). Learning is inferred if the reaction time (RT) decreases during FSBs and increases in subsequent RBs. Studies reported age-related decreases in RTs and greater improvements in FSBs during a single learning opportunity. However, studies did not report the reliability to express RL, i.e., the number of times learning was demonstrated across multiple opportunities.

We designed SRTT presented either on a touchscreen or via eye-tracker, allowing for multiple opportunities to demonstrate RL. We tested adults (TDA) and TDC from 4 to 9 years of age.

The majority of the youngest TDC demonstrated at least one occurrence of manual RL, and this proportion increased with age, reaching 100% in TDA. Less than half of the youngest TDC exhibited a single occurrence of oculomotor RL, but this proportion also increased with age, reaching 100% in TDA. In the manual SRT, TDC exhibited the fewest number of learning occurrences, older children exhibited more, and TDA exhibited the most. In the oculomotor SRT, the same pattern was observed, although TDC exhibited a lower number of learning occurrences than for the manual.

Reliable expression of manual and oculomotor RL increases with age. Although oculomotor RL is demonstrated less in TDC, and is less reliable than manual RL, this is not the case for TDA.

Children from socioeconomically disadvantaged families tend to show lower language competence (Schwab & Lew-Williams, 2016). In households with low socioeconomic status (SES) or a migration background, fewer books and games are typically available, coinciding with fewer parent-child interactions and learning-related activities (Neuman & Celano, 2001). It is assumed that the home learning environment mediates the effect of SES on children's development (Dominke & Steffensky, 2025).

This study investigates whether SES affects the home learning environment. Furthermore, it examines whether there is a relationship between SES and language learning progress following a shared picture book reading session and whether this relationship is mediated by home learning environment.

Families with children aged 4–5 years complete a questionnaire that provides insights into their socioeconomic background and home learning environment. The children participate in a shared picture book reading session with a student and are assessed for their story-related vocabulary (Pre- and Posttest) and story comprehension.

At the time of the conference, data from 130 families and shared reading sessions will be available. To analyse the data, simple linear regressions are conducted to examine the relationships between SES and the home learning environment, as well as between SES and language learning outcomes. In addition, a mediation model is tested, with the home learning environment acting as a mediator between SES and language learning progress. The impact of SES on children's lives is a cross-disciplinary research field. Understanding how socioeconomic disadvantage affects children's learning can inform the development of effective measures to tackle inequality.

Children’s play in classroom environments holds profound significance for cognitive, social, and emotional development. However, standardized pedagogical practices often prioritize curriculum delivery over play-based needs, resulting in homogenized spatial arrangements that limit developmental opportunities. This study investigates how kindergarten classroom environments shape children’s free play behaviors and social dynamics, focusing on the physical properties (spatial components, layout, functioning) and environmental attributes (adjacency, operability, legibility, openness) that influence age-specific play patterns. Using a mixed-methods approach, this research was conducted in a kindergarten in Nanchang, China with 69 children aged 3–6. Data collection included qualitative and quantitative observations, field notes, snapshots, and informal interviews to analyze behavioral and perceptual data. Key findings indicate that peer engagement emerges as children actualize spatial affordances, co-creating transient micro-settings that reflect a triadic child-peer-environment relationship. Younger children (3–4 years) gravitated toward enclosed, sensorimotor-driven play that fostered emotional security, while older peers (4–6 years) engaged in rule-based, collaborative activities that enhanced social negotiation and cognitive flexibility. The study underscores the nature of classrooms as negotiated ecosystems, where children reinterpret spatial semantics through play. Design elements such as modular surfaces and symbolic cues were found to promote agency, creativity, and problem-solving. These insights advocate for age-responsive environments that balance structure and adaptability to support holistic cognitive, social, and emotional growth. Integrating ecological psychology (affordances) and environmental psychology (behavior settings), the research positions classrooms as active mediators of play, learning, and development.

Background: Digital media use has become an integral part of everyday life, including family settings, raising important questions about its impact on early child development. Previous research has yielded mixed findings regarding associations between screen exposure and child wellbeing, with most studies focusing solely on screen time.

Therefore, our first aim is to examine the association between children’s screen time and behavioral difficulties, including internalizing and externalizing problems. The second aim is to identify different correlates of child behavioral difficulties beyond screen time, considering different types of digital media content and context, as well as parent-related psychosocial factors (e.g., parental motivation for screen use, parental phubbing).

Methods: A total of 506 parents (age = 36.9 ± 4.7 years, 82% mothers) with children aged 0-5 years (age = 3.4 ± 1.3 years, 47% girls) living in Switzerland participated in an online survey. The questionnaire included sociodemographic information, parental digital media attitudes and detailed data on children’s digital media use, including screen time, content, and context of use. Child behavioral difficulties were assessed with the Strengths-and-Difficulties-Questionnaire (SDQ), and parental phubbing with the Parental-Scale-of-Phubbing (PSP).

Data analysis is ongoing. Results will address associations between children’s screen exposure, behavioral difficulties, and additional correlates related to content, context, and parent factors.

Discussion: This study will provide important insights into whether, and how, different aspects of early screen media use are linked to child developmental outcomes. By moving beyond screen time alone, it aims to provide a more comprehensive understanding of early digital media use and developmental outcomes.

Parenting is subject to constant change and is guided by social discourse on what constitutes a good childhood and upbringing. Two topics have become increasingly relevant in this context: attachment parenting, which is mainly disseminated via social media, and intensive parenting, which describes over-involvement and unrealistic standards of parenting. Previous instruments for parenting have not yet included these aspects and are therefore now reaching their limits. The aim was therefore to develop and validate a scale for capture parenting styles that incorporates today's discourse on parenting. The theoretical basis is provided by the work of Hurrelmann and Bauer (2021), which identifies three dimensions: stimulation, recognition, and guidance, each in the context of orientation toward children's needs and authority. In order to adequately cover authority, the dimension of power exercise was added.

An initial pilot study of the developed scale was conducted using an online questionnaire of parents in Thurgau before (06-07/2025) and after their children started kindergarten (10-11/2025). Based on the data from the first survey phase, three of the four dimensions could be extracted. However, stimulation and recognition had to be combined. Correlations with intensive parenting (recorded in adapted form by Liss et al. 2012) were demonstrated.

The poster presents the development and refinement of the scale as well as initial validation steps. The results will be discussed whether the scale is a suitable instrument to capture parenting styles today.

Children’s right to participation in healthcare is established and protected by legal frameworks at multiple levels. However, current practice in Switzerland does not yet fully comply with these requirements. Parents and other Primary Caregivers (PCs) are key players regarding the healthcare-related participation of their child. To quantitatively assess PCs` knowledge, attitudes, and experiences with extent of the involvement of children, several standardized assessment tools have been introduced, mainly focusing on the aspect of shared decision-making. However, there is no comprehensive overview of the existing instruments to evaluate child healthcare participation, and underlying concepts. We therefore aim to collect and compare available quantitative instruments that capture PCs’ perspectives on children’s participation in healthcare.

Methods:

After PROSPERO registration, we will conduct a systematic review following PRISMA guidelines. Search terms will include: “caregiver, parents, children, participation, health care, quantitative data”. Results will be analyzed and presented using descriptive tables to summarize study characteristics, populations, survey instruments, and key findings. A narrative synthesis will be conducted to explore patterns and differences across studies. Beyond compiling examples of quantitative tools, this review will identify underlying concepts of children’s healthcare participation.

Results:

A first, preliminary search identified 35 papers fitting our inclusion criteria, describing more than 10 validated assessment tools. Until the conference, data extraction will be completed, and results can be presented in detail.

Discussion:

Our findings will contribute to selecting validated tools for a survey designed to assesses PCs’ experiences and expectations regarding children’s involvement in outpatient health care.

Children enter kindergarten with varied levels of German language skills, ranging from no prior exposure to advanced (first or second) language acquisition (Albers 2010; Bayer 2011). Limited skills regarding the language of schooling can lead to disadvantages in kindergarten and school, as language skills impact peer interaction and access to learning (Keller et al. 2015; Winsler et al. 2014).

To support early access to the language of schooling (German), a project targets three-year-old children who do not yet speak it. Families are encouraged to enrol their child in daycare. Language specialists visit biweekly to model support strategies and coach educators; teams receive tailored training.

This poster examines the implementation of the project to improve language support for children learning German as a second language and discusses feedback from participating early childhood educators.

In 2023/24, the project supported 513 children in 260 groups across 148 daycare centers: 43% of the 338 officially registered centers in the targeted city (Stadt Zürich, 2023). Each group was visited an average of 18.4 times during the school year.

An anonymous survey conducted among 210 coached early childhood educators and 72 daycare managers (n = 282) showed high approval for the project: 95.7% agreed that the specialists effectively encouraged children to speak, and 92.5% observed improved peer interaction. Coaching was widely viewed as supportive, with over 96% expressing full or partial agreement.

The results suggest that targeted, practice-integrated language support and coaching can strengthen early language development and peer interaction for multilingual children in early childhood education.

Introduction. Inhibiting actions and behaviors are essential skills for daily life, often involving coordination of cognitive and motor systems. While these systems and related inhibition skills improve from early childhood to adulthood, the development of inhibition is often delayed and more burdensome for individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders. This includes conditions with core cognitive and/or motor skills difficulties, such as Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). At present, a majority of the evidence surrounding inhibition in these groups is based on basic tasks that do not necessarily capture the complexities of real-world behavior.

Methods. In order to approach a more ecologically valid assessment of inhibition, we will apply the novel “stop walking task” of inhibition, which extends the traditional stop signal task to utilize step-based gross motor responses. Comparisons will be made within participants in sitting versus walking contexts and between groups of children with and without DCD and/or ADHD. Detailed study plans and preliminary results will be reported.

Results. We expect that all individuals will show similar patterns from the sitting to walking tasks, however, those with neurodevelopmental conditions will have reduced baselines in behavioral and neural outcomes compared to typical developing children.

Discussion. This study has implications for (1) deciphering the unique baselines and burdens in complex cognitive-motor integration in children with neurodevelopmental disorders and (2) understanding how developing brains coordinate complex motor inhibition through a task resembling real-world behavior.

Conclusion. Further interpretations will be provided in accordance with preliminary results.

Audiovisual (AV) processing and integration is essential for language development and comprehension and continues to mature throughout childhood. How the brain processes AV congruent and AV incongruent information, and how this is influenced by age, warrants further investigation.

We developed a naturalistic movie-watching paradigm in which the narration was either congruent (AVcon) or incongruent (AVinc) with the visual scenes, and acquired fMRI data from 95 healthy children (ages 5.7–13 years). We examined age-related differences in brain activation during AVcon and AVinc processing at the whole-brain level (pFWEc<.05) and within functional regions of interest.

Age was positively associated with an increase in the differential activation between AVinc and AVcon scenes in the left angular gyrus, bilateral frontal operculum, bilateral middle frontal and left superior frontal gyri. Further, younger children showed stronger deactivation in a cluster encompassing bilaterally posterior, middle and anterior parts of the cingulate gyrus when processing AVinc compared to AVcon scenes.

Our results suggest a developmental shift from broad suppression of internally oriented networks and limited engagement of higher-order control areas in younger children, toward a more mature strategy engaging regions for efficient semantic integration and conflict resolution during audiovisual incongruency in older children.

Aims: Longitudinal studies of offspring of parents with bipolar disorders (BPD), major depressive disorder (MDD) and substance use disorders (SUD) have shown psychopathology occurring in adolescence to precede the onset of full-blown disorders. However, it still remains elusive whether psychopathology detected before age 10 could already predict the onset of later disorders or substance misuse. Using a prospective cohort study of children of parents with BPD, MDD and SUD, we assessed 1) the association between parental disorders and psychopathology assessed before age 10 in offspring, and 2) the prospective associations between disorders and symptoms and the onset of later disorders or substance misuse in offspring.

Methods: Directly interviewed probands with BPD, MDD, SUD and controls, along with a sample of their offspring aged 7-10 years (n=127) were followed up every 3 years into early adulthood over a period of 16 years.

Results: 1) Offspring of probands with MDD were at a 4-times increased risk of early separation anxiety disorder (SEA) which suggested the future onset of social phobia. 2) Offspring with behavioral disorders (BEHAV) before age 10 were at a 6-fold higher risk of developing alcohol misuse over the follow-up. 3) There were no associations among early psychopathology and subsequent mood disorders in offspring.

Conclusions: Early SEA detected among offspring of depressed parents in particular, and early BEHAV are risk factors for the development of future psychopathology and substance misuse. In contrast, our data do not support the implication of psychopathology detected before age 10 in predicting future mood disorders.

The current context calls for greater citizen participation in public action (Beuret & Cadoret, 2015). Within early childhood education and care policies, this ambition requires the inclusion of the perspectives of families and children themselves, acknowledging their right to express their views on matters that concern them (Garnier & Rayna, 2017).

This poster presents both the approach and the findings of a research project carried out in collaboration between a university researcher and two municipal early childhood officers in the city of Fribourg, Switzerland. Designed to inform the development of the city’s early childhood policy, the project employed a qualitative methodology involving group workshops to gather the views of 35 young children and 16 parents—half of whom were non-native speakers who had recently arrived in Switzerland—on their socio-urban environment.

Analysis of the data highlights the socio-urban environment as an essential space for young children to explore and socialise, in which they engage in a wide range of cognitive, motor, relational, playful, and creative experiences, even in places not specifically intended for them. However, the contrasting perspectives of children and parents reveal potential inequalities in opportunities for exploration and access to certain parts of the socio-urban environment. This underscores the importance of thinking in an interdisciplinary way how to promote spaces frequented by young children as informal learning environments accessible to all and strengthen the participation of all children and families in the conception of the services offered in these spaces to foster equal opportunities.