Investigating the impact of partner phubbing on romantic jealousy and relationship satisfaction: The moderating role of attachment anxiety

Abstract

The ubiquitous and omnipresent smartphone has dramatically altered how people communicate. The present research investigates how partner phubbing (phone snubbing) among romantic partners impacts relationship satisfaction. Study 1 experimentally manipulates partner phubbing and finds it drives romantic jealousy and relationship satisfaction. Study 2 uses an alternative manipulation of partner phubbing and explores the moderating role of interpersonal attachment anxiety in the relationship between partner phubbing, romantic jealousy, and relationship satisfaction. Study 2 finds that partner phubbing and attachment anxiety have an interactive effect on jealousy, which then leads to relationship satisfaction. Study 3 employs a survey and finds that partner phubbing has downstream negative effects on well-being through romantic jealousy, but only among anxiously attached individuals. The heavy use of technology, especially smartphones, in the presence of one’s romantic partner, and the negative outcomes associated with partner phubbing, establishes the importance of research in this area. Directions for future research and study limitations are discussed.