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Does Using Mobile Phones Make You Less Attractive? Phubbing and Perceptions of Warmth, Competence, and Social
SoJin Lee1, Eunseo Kim1, Jaeyeon Bang1
1School of Psychology, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Cyberpsychology, Behavior and Social Networking
|December 24, 2025
Summary
Phubbing, or phone snubbing, significantly lowers perceived warmth and competence, negatively impacting social attractiveness and interaction intentions. Contextual information can moderate these detrimental effects on relationships.
Area of Science:
- Social Psychology
- Communication Studies
- Human-Computer Interaction
Background:
- Phubbing (phone snubbing) is prevalent in digital interactions.
- Negative impacts on relationships and impression formation are noted.
- The Stereotype Content Model (SCM) explains social perception via warmth and competence.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how phubbing influences perceptions of warmth and competence.
- To examine the subsequent effects on social attractiveness, likability, and interaction intentions.
- To explore the moderating role of contextual information in phubbing's impact.
Main Methods:
- Two experiments were conducted to test the hypotheses.
- Study 1 used serial mediation analysis to examine psychological mechanisms.
- Study 2 employed moderated mediation analyses to assess contextual influences.
Main Results:
- Phubbing significantly decreased perceived warmth and competence.
- Reduced warmth and competence led to lower social attractiveness, likability, and interaction intentions.
- Contextual information moderated the relationship between phubbing and social evaluations.
Conclusions:
- Phubbing undermines social perceptions by reducing warmth and competence.
- These effects negatively influence interpersonal judgments and relational outcomes.
- Understanding these mechanisms is crucial for mitigating phubbing's harm to relational well-being.
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