Phubbing Behaviour: A Bibliometric Analysis of Scientific Production

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Communication Studies
• Sociology

Background:

• Phubbing (phone snubbing) is the act of ignoring individuals during face-to-face interactions due to mobile phone use.
• This behavior is increasingly recognized as detrimental to social relationships and has garnered significant scientific attention.
• A bibliometric analysis is needed to map the existing research landscape and identify future research directions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of phubbing research.
• To identify research trends, key themes, and influential studies in the field.
• To highlight gaps in the literature and suggest avenues for future investigation.

Main Methods:

• Bibliometric analysis of 199 articles published in the Web of Science database (1985-2022).
• Utilized citation, co-occurrence, and co-citation analysis techniques.
• Employed VOSviewer software to create scientific maps for visualization.

Main Results:

• Research predominantly focuses on the impact of phubbing on romantic relationships.
• Limited research addresses phubbing in family, work, or friend dynamics.
• Identified key research areas for future study include internet use motivations, social comparison, impulsivity, and executive functions.

Conclusions:

• Current phubbing research is heavily skewed towards romantic relationships.
• Further research is crucial to understand phubbing's broader relational impacts and underlying psychological mechanisms.
• This bibliometric analysis provides a foundation for future research and practical interventions in psychology, health, and education.