The mediating role of maternal gatekeeping in the relationship between child-rearing attitudes and digital parenting awareness among fathers of 6-year-old children

Within the scope of the research, this study examines the mediating role of maternal gatekeeping in the relationship between fathers' child-rearing attitudes and their awareness of digital parenting. The study included 267 parents of 6-year-old children. Data were collected using a comprehensive questionnaire form containing 115 questions across four sections: Demographic information in the first section, the Parental Attitude Scale (PAS) in the second section, the Digital Parenting Attitude Scale (DPAS) in the third section, and the Maternal Gatekeeping Scale Father Form (MGS – F) in the fourth section. The results indicated that maternal gatekeeping serves as a partial mediator in the relationship between fathers exhibiting overprotective parenting attitudes and their digital parenting awareness. The study suggests further exploration of maternal gatekeeping attitudes in relation to other variables in future research.