Investigating phubbing behaviors among university students: a latent profile analysis study

This study aims to identify the latent profiles of university students regarding phubbing behavior based on the relationships between self-esteem, social anxiety, perceived true self on the internet, and phubbing behaviors. University students require healthy identity development and fulfilling social relationships. Those who fail to meet these needs may resort to excessive and maladaptive smartphone use. A total of 550 students (67.6% female, 32.4% male), aged between 18 and 27 (Mean = 21.33, SD = 2.97), participated in the study. Data were collected using the General Phubbing Scale, the Interaction Anxiety Scale, the True Me on the Net Scale, and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. Latent profile analysis, one-way ANOVA, and logistic regression were employed in the analyses. The results revealed three distinct profiles based on phubbing risk: high, moderate, and low risk. According to the logistic regression analysis, self-esteem, social anxiety, perceived true self on the internet, and daily smartphone use were significant variables in determining phubbing risk groups. Individuals in the high-risk group were found to engage more frequently in digital interactions, whereas those in the low-risk group exhibited higher self-esteem and lower social anxiety. In summary, the findings of this study contribute to a better understanding of the psychosocial factors influencing phubbing behavior and offer valuable insights for future research on phubbing.