Do you and your partner ever 'phub'? Chances are you do it without even noticing, and trust us, you don't need to be between the sheets. You can phub in the kitchen, you can phub in the park, and you can even phub in the back of an Uber.
There are numerous studies out there about how the modern relationship is evolving, and it's not just because most of us turn to apps to find our next match instead of meeting on the dancefloor.
We also have to deal with jealous partners trying to snoop through our phones because you liked someone's photo on Instagram, killing our emotional connection and sex lives by endlessly scrolling in bed, or what about the idea that your significant other could leave you for an AI?
If all of that wasn't enough to deal with, there's also 'phubbing'. A portmanteau of being on your phone and snubbing someone, phubbing is apparently becoming an epidemic.
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We've previously covered how a study published by Applied Psychology Review linked phubbing to a "significant negative impact on marital satisfaction", while more recent research suggested that phubbing can be particularly dangerous for those with anxious attachment styles.
Posted in Frontiers in Psychology, one study explains how those of you who phub might be pushing yourself and your partner into a fit of rage.
When one partner 'phubs' another, it tends to lead to relational aggression for both men and women.
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In particular, women are said to feel a greater gap between the support they desire and the support they get when they're phubbed by a partner – leading to an increase in relational aggression.
As noted by PsyPost, relational aggression is actions that harm a partner emotionally through the likes of social connections and feelings of belonging instead of physically hurting them.
883 young adults from China who are considered to be in a romantic relationship undertook the online survey that looked at phubbing from a partner, relational aggression, and social support. Of this, 772 responses were deemed usable.
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Although previous research has looked at aggression in relationships, studies didn't have much understanding of how our everyday habits, like scrolling on a phone, could trigger negative behaviors and potentially push a partner into relational aggression.
In particular, researchers wanted to look into whether men or women would react differently.
A partner who frequently phubs during moments of supposed togetherness is more likely to receive relational aggression due to a perceived lack of support.
The study concludes: "These findings suggest that partner phubbing had a significant effect on relational aggression in romantic relationships for both male and female participants.
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"Social support may play a significant role between partner phubbing and relational aggression in females only. Tailored interventions for partner phubbing to prevent negative interpersonal consequences are warranted."
Still, we're reminded that the survey relying on self-reported data could skew results by either under- or overreporting their actions based on social desirability and personal bias.
We should also take into account how all the data was collected at one time, making it hard to determine whether distraction leads to aggression or aggression might lead to phubbing.