UConn researchers analyzed how phone use among cohabitating couples influenced perceptions of affection and relationship satisfaction during the COVID-19 pandemic
Is your phone use hurting your relationship?
A study from researchers at the University of Connecticut and Columbia University published in the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships suggests it might be.
Amanda Denes, a principal investigator at UConn's Institute for Collaboration on Health, Intervention, and Policy (InCHIP) and professor in the Department of Communication in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, led a study that looked at how couples' phone habits influenced how satisfied they felt in their relationships during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Denes worked with Chelsea Guest, a former Ph.D. student in the Department of Communication; Katrina Webber, Ph.D., an independent researcher and activist; Amy Gorin, Vice Provost for Health Sciences and Interdisciplinary Initiatives; and Talea Cornelius, assistant professor of medical sciences at Columbia University Irving Medical Center.
The researchers specifically examined how ignoring one's partner to use a cell phone, also called "phubbing," impacted relationship dynamics.
"Like others, we noticed how much relationships were shifting because of stress, isolation, and changes in daily routines during the pandemic. Couples were also navigating new challenges, like increased physical closeness. We started to wonder how the potentially increased time people were spending on their phones might impact their relationships," says Denes.
Coined in 2012, the term "phubbing" combines the words "phone" and "snubbing" to describe behavior when a person attends to their cell phone instead of engaging with others around them.
Denes and her colleagues found that phubbing, especially during highly stressful events, like the COVID-19 pandemic, can be detrimental to relationships. They also found that it can negatively impact relationships even when partners have similar phubbing habits.
"One of the key takeaways from our study is that when a person feels ignored by their partner because they are more focused on their phone, it may make them feel less loved and cared for, which can ultimately damage the relationship," says Denes. "These findings highlight the importance of being mindful of how we use our phones around loved ones, especially during stressful times."
In romantic relationships, phubbing can have emotional and relational consequences. It can lead to increased conflict and affect intimacy, emotional closeness, relationship quality, and satisfaction. Low relationship satisfaction can increase stress, loneliness, and feelings of uncertainty. All of this can influence how fulfilling a relationship feels.
About 40% of Americans in romantic relationships are bothered by the amount of time their significant other spends on their phone. Nearly half report their partner being distracted by their phone during conversation.
"This study reinforces the point that affection matters in relationships. When people feel that they're not receiving an adequate amount of affection, especially during difficult times, it can ripple in ways that impact not just individual well-being, but also relational well-being," says Denes.
Denes' study is the first to analyze the effects of phubbing during a stressful global event like the COVID-19 pandemic.
As a result of shelter-in-place mandates, cohabitating partners were spending more time together. Technology use also increased during the pandemic as individuals attempted to stay connected to loved ones. Denes and her colleagues wanted to know whether couples spending more time together would be more sensitive to phubbing.
Study participants reported feeling less loved or cared for when their partner phubbed them, leading to less relationship satisfaction.
To improve feelings of connectedness and satisfaction, couples can discuss cell phone use or set acceptable times and situations for phubbing. Another option to enhance relationship happiness is to involve one's partner in their phone use or be more affectionate.
"Even if phone use isn't meant to be hurtful, it can still create distance. Being aware of how phone use may interfere with our ability to express affection to important people in our lives is a first step in ensuring we make the time and space to invest in our close relationships," says Denes.
Denes' study was part of a larger project supported by InCHIP's COVID-19 Rapid Response Seed Grant, which provided funds for UConn faculty and graduate students to capture time-sensitive data as the pandemic unfolded.
In this larger study, Denes and her collaborators explored how COVID-19 shelter-in-place orders and social isolation shaped couples' health behaviors, physical activity, and communication. They also looked at whether strong relationships could buffer against poor communication and arguments during highly stressful times. They found couples that were communally oriented were more likely to thrive in the face of stress and have more effective communication, bolstering relationships.
"Our study emerged from an interest in how couples who were living in isolation together might be using their phones in ways that interfered with or interrupted their relationship and whether that might affect how they felt about the quality of affection they received from their partner and their satisfaction with their relationship," says Denes.
Studies like this demonstrate the innovative, collaborative research that InCHIP continues to support through its seed grant program.
This year, InCHIP is offering a variety of funding opportunities to fund pilot projects that lay the foundation for future external grant applications, including a grant in partnership with UConn Global Affairs to support work by UConn faculty in the area of human and planetary health. The grant is part of a broader university-wide initiative on mindfulness, spirituality, and planetary health.
