Showing papers by "James A. Roberts published in 2022"

Partner Phubbing as a Social Allergen: Support for a Dual Process Model

Abstract: In a couple context, a social allergen is a behavior that irritates one’s partner and tends to increase as a romantic relationship continues. Given that smartphones are a constant companion for many people, their use in the presence of one’s romantic partner is pervasive and can have important implications for relationships. The present research focuses on relationship length and partner phubbing and investigates the mediating role of passion and deromantization on the social allergen of partner phubbing. Study 1 surveyed 250 married adults and found that relationship length is negatively associated with romantic passion which, in turn, is positively associated with perceptions of partner phubbing. Although the literature on social allergens would suggest a positive effect of relationship length on partner phubbing, Study 1 showed no significant main effect of relationship length on phubbing. As an attempt to explain this seeming anomaly, we drew from the attachment theory to propose an additional mechanism underlying this relationship. Study 2 ( n = 250 married adults) then tests an expanded model that includes attachment anxiety as an additional mediator. Results show that relationship length is associated with lower attachment anxiety which is in turn associated with less perceived partner phubbing. Overall, the results show support for a dual process model, such that romantic passion and attachment anxiety differentially underlie the path between relationship length and perceived partner phubbing. The findings provide important insights into better understanding partner phubbing as a social allergen over the course of marital relationships.

For God’s Sake: Integrating the Theory of Reasoned Action and Technology Acceptance Model to Predict Smartphone Use during Church Services

Abstract: Smartphone use has quickly become a fixture of everyday life, including during church services. Drawing from the Theory of Reasoned Action and the Technology Acceptance Model, we develop a model to identify key drivers of smartphone use during church services. Smartphone Playfulness was included in the model to reflect a more intrinsic motivation to use one’s smartphone during church services. Study 1 surveys 329 US adults and finds that our newly developed model explains 66 percent of the variation in intentions to use one’s smartphone during church services. A second study conducted six weeks later with 164 of the original respondents finds that behavioral intentions explains 44 percent of the variation in actual smartphone use. Findings suggest that the newly developed model presented herein is a valuable tool in explaining smartphone use in church and may prove helpful in explaining acceptance decisions across a wide variety of computer-based media technologies.