Disconnected, Though Satisfied: Pphubbing Behavior and Relationship Satisfaction

Mobile phones are the primary communication tools in every person's daily lives. As they started including the Internet and so let many applications to work in people's pockets, they became the tools of something more than communication, the tools of managing lives. However, besides easing many routines of daily lives, frequent use of these devices raised questions about whether they damage interpersonal communication, or not. Phubbing is the act when mobile devices lead people to ignore the ones beside them, and so cut the interpersonal communication. When this act is performed among couples of intimate relationships, this behavior is named as 'partner phubbing' (pphubbing). Studies found that by cutting the communication among romantic couples, by causing feelings of being ignored, and by raising doubt and jealousy, partner phubbing decreases relationship satisfaction. Accordingly, this study aims to compare perceived partner phubbing and the relationship satisfaction of people who are dating, and people who are currently married in Turkey. With a sample of 500 participants and being the first study conducted to measure the impact of partner phubbing on relationship satisfaction in Turkey, throughout a survey consisting of two scales (Pphubbing Scale and Relationship Satisfaction Scale) this study found that phubbing behavior is prevalently performed among couples in Turkey as well. However, results demonstrate that pphubbing behavior does not negatively impact the relationship satisfaction of couples in Turkey, the possible reasons of which are discussed.