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Consequences of Phubbing on Romantic Relationships

Partner phubbing (pphubbing) is the act of ignoring a partner in favour of a mobile phone (Beukeboom & Pollmann, 2021). Various research supports the idea that phubbing is detrimental to social interactions (Abeele, 2020; Chotpitayasunondh & Douglas, 2018). Phubbing can influence a dissolve in romantic partnerships through the promotion of conflict and lowered relationship quality (Al‐Saggaf & O’Donnell, 2019; Chotpitayasunondh & Douglas, 2018). It has been suggested that this decline in relationship quality may be mediated by relationship dissatisfaction, jealousy, and intimacy (Beukeboom & Pollmann, 2021; Carnelley et al., 2023; Radtke et al., 2024; Roberts & David, 2022). This article will give background on pphubbing behaviour before examining how decreased relationship quality could result from pphubbing’s negative influence on these mediating factors (Beukeboom & Pollmann, 2021; Carnelley et al., 2023; Komnik, 2024; Roberts & David, 2022).

Introduction and Background

The term phubbing was coined in 2012 due to a decline of perceived communication quality between individuals when smartphones were involved (Cambridge Dictionary, 2024; Capilla Garrido et al., 2021; Editors of Merriam-Webster, 2016). A questionnaire by Sanjeev et al (2018) found the prevalence of phubbing to be almost 50%, with examples of this behaviour including using a phone at dinner or scrolling whilst another person is talking (Ridley, 2023). Research groups have observed phubbing as detrimental to social interactions, deflating mood and promoting relationship disinterest (Abeele, 2020; Chotpitayasunondh & Douglas, 2018; Sun & Samp, 2021). Additionally, findings from mixed methodologies consistently show phubbing associates negatively with (Davey et al., 2018; Ergün et al., 2019; Karadağ et al., 2016):

Loneliness
Anxiety
Life satisfaction
Relationship health

A survey by Roberts and David (2016) found that almost half of all adults have been phubbed by their romantic partner. Research has gone on to propose that pphubbing could result in romantic conflict and lowered relationship quality, potentially leading to a relationship breakdown (Al‐Saggaf & O’Donnell, 2019; Chotpitayasunondh & Douglas, 2018). With almost 97% participants in a study stating that pphubbing has negatively impacted their relationship and mental health, many researchers have begun to examine how different factors predicted by pphubbing could explain this decrease in relationship quality (Beukeboom & Pollmann, 2021; Ligon-Tucker, 2023; Mahmud et al., 2023).

Relationship dissatisfaction

Non-Married couples

Although consensus has not been reached, several studies have proposed that pphubbing negatively predicts relationship satisfaction (Beukeboom & Pollmann, 2021; Roberts & David, 2022; YAM, 2022). Pphubbing is negatively correlated with communication, something consistently shown to predict a functioning relationship (Beukeboom & Pollmann, 2021; Collins & Miller, 1994; Schokkenbroek et al., 2022). Results from a cross-sectional survey by Beukeboom and Pollmann (2021) found that conflict over phone use during conversation resulted in less communication and a lowered relationship satisfaction. This finding was echoed by Mahmud et al (2023) who suggested that the phone is a distractor which leads to less meaningful communication, harming satisfaction. These similar discoveries could be explained by people’s innate need to belong (Baumeister & Leary, 1995; Radtke et al., 2024). Eye contact and responsiveness is empirical for an interpretation of interest, so when partners focus on their phones their partner may feel ostracised, lowering satisfaction (Abeele, 2020; Baumeister & Leary, 1995; Beukeboom & Pollmann, 2021; Ergün et al., 2019). However, both studies used a self-report questionnaire which may have been subject to context effects and recall bias if participants had recently had a negative experience with pphubbing (Beukeboom & Pollmann, 2021; Mahmud et al., 2023). Additionally, these studies did not look at any other factors which may have mediated relationship satisfaction, reducing internal validity (Beukeboom & Pollmann, 2021; Mahmud et al., 2023).

Alternative findings from qualitative methods report that pphubbing demonstrates little or no impact on relationship satisfaction (Carnelley et al., 2023; Ligon-Tucker, 2023). For example, diary studies propose that pphubbing has a negative impact on satisfaction on a day-to-day basis but is insignificant after a longer period (Carnelley et al., 2023; Frackowiak et al., 2022). Furthermore, interviews conducted by Ligon-Tucker (2023) found no significant effect of pphubbing on relationship satisfaction. As such, more research needs to be conducted into pphubbing and relationship satisfaction as there are no clear conclusions.

Married Couples

Pphubbing is also negatively associated with marital satisfaction (Chen et al., 2021; Khodabakhsh & Ong, 2021; Wang & Zhao, 2022). Wang & Zhao (2022) observed that marital conflict mediated with pphubbing negatively predicted marital satisfaction. Their use of participants from a China adds cultural validity to the claim of pphubbing harming marital status (Wang & Zhao, 2022). However, much insight into the impact of pphubbing on marital satisfaction has been conducted on one partner, disabling meaningful comparisons between-participants. Contrastingly, results from matched data between have demonstrated support for relationship satisfaction being negatively linked to pphubbing (Chen, Gong & Xie, 2021). Despite this, it’s important to note that this result is only significant when a wife is doing the pphubbing, suggesting gender differences (Chen et al., 2021).

Assessing these differences, research has observed dissatisfaction being stronger among younger couples and females (Wang & Zhao, 2022). This can also be seen among studies on non-married couples, demonstrating a need for more research into how pphubbing can be interpreted differently between ages and genders (Khodabakhsh & Ong, 2021; Mosley & Parker, 2023; Wang et al., 2024). This mixed research among non-married couples and between genders suggests that the reason for pphubbing negatively impacting relationships has the potential to be linked to other factors such as jealousy and intimacy (Komnik, 2024; Mosley & Parker, 2023; Radtke et al., 2024; Zonash et al., 2020).

Jealousy

Jealousy encompasses suspicion, rage, or humiliation and is often aroused when a person thinks their relationship may be threatened (Psychology Today, 2023). Research groups have shown that reductions in responsiveness from a partner when favouring their mobile phone can lead to increases in jealousy levels (Carnelley et al., 2023; David & Roberts, 2021; Schokkenbroek et al., 2022). A survey conducted by Schokkenbroek et al (2022) revealed that increases in jealousy may result in partner surveillance to monitor phone use. This digital intrusion mediated by jealousy then decreases trust between partners, lowering relationship quality (Schokkenbroek et al., 2022). This claim of jealously positively associating with pphubbing has been backed by studies examining a variety of age ranges, suggesting universal applicability (David & Roberts, 2021; Schokkenbroek et al., 2022; Zonash et al., 2020). The reason for this may be because pphubbing lowers trust which is a key aspect of successful romantic relationships in all ages (YAM, 2022; Wang & Zhao, 2022; Zonash et al., 2020).

However, most research has been through surveys which are often cross-sectional so cannot reveal long term impacts of partner surveillance and jealousy (Schokkenbroek et al., 2022). Furthermore, while some studies report gender differences between the effect of partner jealousy on mental health, with females suffering more, others have found no differences (Wang et al., 2024; Zonash et al., 2020). The cause of these varying findings is not fully understood, although this may be due to some research exploring married couples and others using partnerships. Future research should examine how gender differences in jealousy from pphubbing may be dissimilar in marriage compared to partnerships.

Intimacy

Recent research has suggested that pphubbing may reduce intimacy between romantic partners (Beukeboom & Pollmann, 2021; Radtke et al., 2024; Wang et al., 2024). Wang et al (2024) studied 512 young Chinese couples, observing that pphubbing was negatively correlated with intimacy quality. This finding might explain why younger generations have a diminished intimacy level in the age of technology (Blair, 2022; Wang et al., 2024). The phone distracts partners from spending time and communicating with each other, decreasing chances of intimacy (Blair, 2022; Mahmud et al., 2023; Wang et al., 2024). Radtke et al (2024) also evidence the claim for intimacy being reduced by pphubbing but suggest absent presence is the cause. People feel social deprivation and ostracism even when their partner is with them due to a diverted gaze towards their phone (Radtke et al., 2024; Williams, 2007). This decreases interaction quality and limits chances for intimacy (Radtke et al., 2024; Wang et al., 2024). The recency of these studies provides the claim with temporal validity, suggesting findings can be well applied to populations in modern day. However, both studies only examined one partner from each couple, not enabling the dyadic component of smartphone use on intimacy to be considered (Radtke et al., 2024).

Though not directly examined, a decline in intimacy between couples may increase loneliness which can mediate pphubbing and relationship satisfaction (Beukeboom & Pollmann, 2021; YAM, 2022; Zhan et al., 2022). It’s widely accepted that intimacy positively predicts relationship satisfaction, with emotional and sexual intimacy mediating a spouses appraisal of relationship quality (Yoo et al., 2013). Zhan et al (2022) studied 504 Chinese adults, finding that a decreased relationship satisfaction could increase loneliness and in turn increase pphubbing. As such, it could be argued that a reduction in intimacy from pphubbing may result in a decreased perception of relationship quality due to feelings of loneliness (Yoo et al., 2013; Zhan et al., 2022). However, this has not been directly studied so future research should aim to evidence this claim.

Interventions

As pphubbing has the potential to drive relationship decline in romantic partnerships, it’s important people are aware of how much they’re pphubbing their spouse to reduce its effects (Beukeboom & Pollmann, 2021; Ligon-Tucker, 2023). Randomized control planning interventions have found that advice reduces one’s own pphubbing but doesn’t help relationship satisfaction (Radtke et al., 2024). This suggests perception of others’ pphubbing may be the cause for relationship decline, not one’s own behaviour (Radtke et al., 2024). This echoes the idea that a responsive partner is empirical for a well-oiled relationship as self-disclosure enhances trust and emotional intimacy (Beukeboom & Pollmann, 2021; Collins & Miller, 1994). Beukeboom & Pollmann (2021) suggested that the adverse effects of pphubbing may be reduced by involving a partner in smartphone use. The act of including a spouse in mobile use could reduce feelings of exclusion and increase senses of trust (Beukeboom & Pollmann, 2021).

Other research by Mahmud et al (2023) proposed that instead of continued phone use, partners should spend more time together without a phone. This is because the phone is a distractor which can result in lowered communication (Mahmud et al., 2023). Both interventions are supported by recent cross-cultural research, adding cultural and temporal validity to their potential effectiveness. However, it should be noted that cross-sectional questionnaires were used to gather information, disabling long term evaluations to be made (Beukeboom & Pollmann, 2021; Mahmud et al., 2023). Additionally, these interventions are theoretical so do not have direct support, future research should scrutinise them to determine viability and legitimacy.

Future directions

Pphubbing is a new phenomenon of the technological age, detrimental to social interactions. Research to date suggests pphubbing can promote romantic conflict and lowered relationship quality (Al‐Saggaf & O’Donnell, 2019; Chotpitayasunondh & Douglas, 2018). This decline in relationship quality can be mediated by relationship dissatisfaction, jealousy, and intimacy (Beukeboom & Pollmann, 2021; Carnelley et al., 2023; Radtke et al., 2024; Roberts & David, 2022). These mediating factors often result from feelings of exclusion due to absent gaze towards a smartphone and decreased meaningful communication (Abeele, 2020; Frackowiak et al., 2022; Schokkenbroek et al., 2022). Much research into this area is correlational due to the use of quantitative methodology, so future research should look for a causal influence (Beukeboom & Pollmann, 2021; Schokkenbroek et al., 2022). Some interventions have been proposed which could improve communication and reduce feelings of exclusion, however, they’re theoretical, disabling legitimacy to be examined (Beukeboom & Pollmann, 2021; Mahmud et al., 2023). It’s empirical that future research uses qualitative methods focussing on different age groups to determine whether interventions have a causal impact on reduced pphubbing consequences.

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