The phubbing problem: A dyadic exploration of the moderating role of partner phubbing on attachment and couple satisfaction

Phubbing, or phone snubbing, is the extent to which someone uses their phone in the presence of others. Phone use has become expected when people are around each other and research continues to explore the impact it has on relationship satisfaction. More specifically, the impact of phubbing through the lens of attachment and couple satisfaction. This study utilized a sample of 103 heterosexual couples to explore how perceptions of phubbing behaviors can inform the established relationship between attachment and relationship satisfaction for the individual and the relationship. An Actor-Partner Interdependence Moderation Model (APIMoM) was used for analysis and found actor and partner effects in perceptions of phubbing moderated the relationship between an individual's anxious attachment and avoidant attachment to their partner's reports of couple satisfaction. This supports the independent and interdependent nature of phubbing and the impact it has on the understanding of attachment and couple satisfaction.