“I Phub You Because…”: Testing a Theory of Interpersonal Behavior for Understanding and Predicting Phubbing

Abstract

Phubbing (i.e., phone and snubbing) is toxic to most individuals. Unlike their perceptions that it is rude, they still phub others. With the prevalence of such behavior in the current age of high technology, it is necessary to understand what motivates people to phub others and examine whether people phub others consciously or unconsciously. The current study examined these questions based on Triandis’s theory of interpersonal behavior (TIB). First, this study developed and validated a self-report measure of phubbing and its predictors based on TIB. 102 items in total across the ten scales – phubbing, outcome beliefs, outcome evaluations, norms, social roles, self-concepts, affect, habits, facilitating conditions, and intentions – were initially developed in Study 1 (n = 349) through extensive literature reviews and screenings by four subject-matter experts. The results of exploratory factor analysis (EFA) reduced items to 72, showing low loadings and cross-loaded items. With newly collected data (n = 811), Study 2a evaluated and confirmed the retained items and dimensions from Study 1 through confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). The CFA results, which led to 55 items being retained, suggested that the developed scales were valid and reliable. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was conducted using those scales to test proposed hypotheses suggested by TIB in Study 2b. The results revealed that TIB was an effective framework for explaining why people phub others. Also, results indicated that attitudinal, social, and emotional factors were significantly associated with phubbing intentions. These phubbing intentions, habits, and facilitating conditions were significantly related to phubbing behavior. In all, the findings of this dissertation contribute to the understanding of phubbing behavior. This study also advances theoretical, methodological, and practical knowledge about phubbing.