The mediating role of social media addiction and phubbing in basic psychological needs in relationships and relationship satisfaction

This study aimed to examine the mediating role of phubbing and social media addiction in the correlation between satisfaction levels of basic psychological needs in romantic relationships and relationship satisfaction. The participants were 958 students from various universities in Türkiye. The research utilized demographic information form for personal information of the participants, the Satisfaction of Basic Psychological Needs in Romantic Relationships Scale, the Generic Scale of Phubbing, the Social Media Addiction Scale-Adult Form, and the Relationship Satisfaction Scale. It was concluded in the research that social media addiction and phubbing had a mediating role in the correlation between the needs for love/belonging β = 0.05, power β = 0.03, and freedom β = -0.08 and the relationship satisfaction. The bootstrapping method performed in the study showed that indirect effect of the need for fun on the relationship satisfaction was significant, but in the Sobel test, social media addiction and phubbing was not found to have a mediating role in this correlation (p > 0.05). It was concluded that phubbing had a mediating role for all needs other than the need for fun in the correlation between satisfaction of basic psychological needs in romantic relationships and social media addiction. Finally, social media addiction was found to have a mediating role in the correlation between phubbing and relationship satisfaction. These findings were discussed in line with the literature. As shown by the findings, it was observed that satisfaction of basic psychological needs in romantic relationships affected the relationship satisfaction, and social media addiction and phubbing had a mediating role in that correlation.

Exploring the personality and relationship factors that mediate the connection between differentiation of self and phubbing

One of the family patterns crucial for mental and physical well-being is differentiation of self. In this study, our aim was to investigate its impact on the phenomenon of phubbing-where individuals prioritize smartphones over in-person interactions. The prevalence of phubbing behavior has risen substantially in tandem with the increased adoption of smartphones. The study investigated familial, interpersonal, and personal factors that could potentially contribute to the escalation of phubbing behaviors. It was hypothesized that differentiation of self would be associated with phubbing through the mediation of fear of missing out, romantic relationship satisfaction, and loneliness in intimate relationships. We also expected gender differences in the study variables. A sample of 431 young adults, with an average age of 29 (M = 29.05, SD = 9.14), completed the DSI-R, Phubbing, FoMO, ENRICH, and LIRS questionnaires online. Results indicated that fear of missing out mediated the relationship between three dimensions of differentiation of self-emotional reactivity, emotional cutoff, and fusion with others-and phubbing behavior. However, the expected mediation by romantic relationship satisfaction and loneliness in intimate relationships did not reach significance, although these variables were found to be associated with differentiation of self. Women reported higher levels of phubbing behavior, emotional reactivity, and fusion with others, whereas men reported higher levels of I-position. We conclude that fear of missing out may serve as a catalyst, triggering anxiety in individuals, which in turn drives them to adopt phubbing as a coping mechanism. Moreover, individuals with lower levels of differentiation of self appear to be at increased risk of engaging in phubbing behaviors through the mediation of fear of missing out.

The Relationship of Technoference in Conjugal Interactions and Child Smartphone Dependence: The Chain Mediation between Marital Conflict and Coparenting

With the increasing use of smartphones in our lives, technoference has become a new threat to family relationships and child development. The present study explored the impact of technoference in conjugal interactions on child smartphone dependence and its underlying mechanism. The participants were 6923 fourth grade children (55.0% boys; the average age was 10.60 years) in 545 primary schools and their parents (35.3% fathers). We found that technoference in conjugal interactions was significantly associated with child smartphone dependence. Technoference in conjugal interactions indirectly affected child smartphone dependence through marital conflict or coparenting and a chain mediation between marital conflict and coparenting. These findings support the spillover theory and provide relevant empirical evidence and advance our understanding of parental functioning on child smartphone dependence within the Chinese culture.

Partner Phubbing as a Social Allergen: Support for a Dual Process Model

In a couple context, a social allergen is a behavior that irritates one’s partner and tends to increase as a romantic relationship continues. Given that smartphones are a constant companion for many people, their use in the presence of one’s romantic partner is pervasive and can have important implications for relationships. The present research focuses on relationship length and partner phubbing and investigates the mediating role of passion and deromantization on the social allergen of partner phubbing. Study 1 surveyed 250 married adults and found that relationship length is negatively associated with romantic passion which, in turn, is positively associated with perceptions of partner phubbing. Although the literature on social allergens would suggest a positive effect of relationship length on partner phubbing, Study 1 showed no significant main effect of relationship length on phubbing. As an attempt to explain this seeming anomaly, we drew from the attachment theory to propose an additional mechanism underlying this relationship. Study 2 ( $n=250$ married adults) then tests an expanded model that includes attachment anxiety as an additional mediator. Results show that relationship length is associated with lower attachment anxiety which is in turn associated with less perceived partner phubbing. Overall, the results show support for a dual process model, such that romantic passion and attachment anxiety differentially underlie the path between relationship length and perceived partner phubbing. The findings provide important insights into better understanding partner phubbing as a social allergen over the course of marital relationships.