Open Access ISSN: 2375-4494 Journal of Child and Adolescent Behavior Research Article Volume 9:S3, 2021 Nasim Yadegarfard 1* and Mohammadrasool Yadegarfard 2 1 Department of Psychology, Islamic Azad University of Shiraz, Shiraz, Iran 2 Department of Psychology, University of Bedfordshire in Luton, Park Street, Luton, Bedfordshire LU1 3EP, UK The Influence of Media as a Mediator between Parenting Styles and Early Maladaptive Schemas among Children Aged 8-11 Abstract This study aimed to determine the moderating role of media use in the relationship between parenting styles and early maladaptive schemas (EMSs) among children aged 8-11 years. The research is quantitative. In this study, a sample of 208 children was recruited, which 151 parents of these children have also participated in this study. The data collection method used in this study was convenient sampling. The measurements were used in this study includes the parenting styles (permissive, authoritative, and authoritarian), Dusseldorf Illustrated Schema Questionnaire for Children (DISC), and media usage (TV, Internet, and computer games). The findings of this study indicate that media usage as a moderating factor between parenting styles and maladaptive schemas of children was not significant. However, the relationship between the three parenting styles with subjugation and emotional deprivation was significant. Also, the findings showed a significant relationship between the authoritarian parenting style and social isolation schema. Moreover, all three forms of media usage together (TV, internet and computer games) showed a significant predictive relationship with eighteen schemas; however, only the hours-per-day usage of TV showed a significant predictive relationship with four schemas of mistrust/abuse; failure; vulnerability to harm or illness and entitlement. The discussion and implications of the findings are discussed. Keywords: Parenting styles • Early maladaptive schemes • Schemas therapy • Media • Mediation testing • Quantitative study Introduction A growing number of psychologists and psychotherapists use schema therapy as their primary psychological approach in Iran. However, as schema therapy is a new form of psychological intervention, research on this approach is still emerging. Jeffrey Young founded schema therapy to treat patients with chronic behavioural problems, it is an integrated approach that is mainly based on developing concepts and methods of classical cognitive-behavioural therapy and attachment theory [1]. Research has shown the effectiveness of this approach for several psychological problems such as personality disorders, depression, aggressive behaviour, eating disorders, drug abuse and adolescents with distributive behaviour and personality disorders traits [2-5]. Early Maladaptive Schemas (EMS) is defined by Young as "broad, pervasive themes regarding oneself and one's relationship with others, developed during childhood and elaborated throughout one's lifetime, and dysfunctional to a significant degree". These schemas are formed in response to unmet needs such as basic safety, connection to others, autonomy, self- esteem, self-expression, and realistic limits [1]. For example, Young believes a child who has not experienced stability, understanding, and love in the family develops a schema of abandonment and emotional deprivation [1]. Two main factors contribute to the development of EMSs. The first factor is "temperament", which is inborn, and it is essentially the way a child is wired to respond to events and, the second factor is the environment , for instance, Young points out that family and the dynamic in the family are the most critical early environmental factors that influence on the development of EMSs [1]. Young believed that in most cases, the influence of family is strongest at birth and progressively declines as the child grows up; hence, he emphasis on other influential environmental factors such as peers and school [1]. As Young believed other environmental factors need to be examined, the current authors hypothesise that parenting styles and excessive use of media as significant environmental factors potentially contribute to the development of EMSs. In the following section, how potentially these two factors can contribute to the development of EMSs will be answered [6]. Parenting styles and EMSs Baumrind divides parenting styles into three groups: authoritative, authoritarian, and permissive. Parents with a permissive parent style attempt to behave in a nonpunitive, acceptant and affirmative manner towards the child's impulses, desires, and actions. Parents with authoritarian parenting styles aim to control and evaluate the behaviour and attitudes of the child under a set of absolute standards of conduct. The authoritative parent attempts to direct the child's activities but in a rational, issue-oriented manner [7]. Although there is no research has been done on the influence of Baumrind's parenting styles on EMSs, in the existing resources, there is a noticeable theoretical relationship between these two variables; however, it requires further investigation, which is one of the aims of the current study [8]. The current authors believe that authoritative parenting has a reverse effect on EMSs and prevent them from developing, whereas the permissive and authoritarian parenting style can positively influence the development of EMSs. For instance, Young believe that the schema of abandonment can develop in a child where parents are cold, unfeeling, irritable, and unpredictable. Accordingly, it can be argued that authoritarian parents, due to their lack of intimacy, empathy, love, and harsh behaviour towards their child, can potentially contribute to the development of the schema of abandonment in the child [9]. Young explained that the schema of mistrust-abuse could be formed when a child is humiliated, punished, threatened, and abused by his parents. Accordingly, it can be thought that if authoritarian parents severely punish their child for their mistakes or force the child by threatening and punishing to do something that he/she does not want to do, this parental abuse potentially can create the schema of mistrust-abuse and punitiveness believing that people should be harshly punished for their mistake [10]. Young also argue that in the schema of enmeshment/undeveloped self, the child is immersed in the personality of significant people in his/her life to the extent that he/she becomes trapped in the identity of the parents. Consequently, the authoritarian parenting style harms the child's sense of identity and social development by dominating him/her. As a result, the child does not learn to function *Address for Correspondence: Nasim Yadegarfard,Department of Psychology, Islamic Azad University of Shiraz, Shiraz, Iran; Tel: 07908337367; E-mail: nasim.yadegarfard@gmail.com Copyright: © 2021 Yadegarfard, N. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Received: 02 August, 2021; Accepted: 16 August, 2021; Published: 23 August, 2021,