Partner Phubbing and Marital Satisfaction: The Mediating Roles of Marital Interaction and Marital Conflict

A growing number of studies have suggested that partner phubbing is negatively associated with marital satisfaction. However, little is known about the mediating mechanisms between this relationship. The current study investigated whether marital interaction and marital conflict mediate the relationship between partner phubbing and marital satisfaction. A sample of 470 Chinese married adults completed questionnaires regarding demographics, partner phubbing, marital interaction, marital conflict, and marital satisfaction. The results suggested that (a) partner phubbing was negatively associated with marital satisfaction; (b) both marital interaction and marital conflict partially mediated the association between partner phubbing and marital satisfaction; and (c) marital interaction and marital conflict sequentially mediated the association between partner phubbing and marital satisfaction. These findings promote our understanding of how partner phubbing is associated with marital satisfaction.