Co-present mobile phone use as an expectancy violation: revisiting ‘phubbing’ in two lab-based experiments

Abstract

Two lab-based experiments (N = 81 and N = 74) examined effects of co-present mobile phone use (frequently conceptualized as ‘phubbing’) on how individuals experience social interactions. The first experiment was modeled after the original Expectancy Violation Theory experiment by Burgoon and Le Poire (1993). Results showed that phubbing predicted perceptions of expectancy violation. These perceptions mediated the association between phubbing and several indicators of both impression formation as well as interpersonal attraction. The second experiment showed that more intensive phubbing led to poorer ratings of the confederate’s attentiveness, conversation quality, and perceived relationship quality than less intensive phubbing. Together, the two experiments support that phubbing, especially when it is more intensive, can harm relational outcomes.

Keywords

• phubbing
• expectancy violations theory
• ostracism
• experiment
• non-verbal behavior