Impact of Personality Traits on Phubbing Behavior: Mediating Role of Fear of Missing Out and Online Communication Attitude

Abstract

The aim of the present study is to investigate the impact of Personality traits on Phubbing Behavior among university students. Current research is completed in two studies. Study 1 is focused on the psychometric estimation, that is, reliability and validity of the instruments. Purposive sampling technique was used to collect the data. Sample of adult university students (N = 200) was taken from different educational institutes Islamabad, Rawalpindi and Haripur. Results provide the evidence that all scales are reliable. Study II which is the main study consists of hypotheses testing. Study II is conducted to see the relationship between personality traits, Online Communication Attitude, Fear of Missing Out and phubbing Behavior. Purposive sampling technique was adopted to acquire a sample of university students (N = 450), including men (n=182) and women (n = 268), and the age of the sample ranged from 18 to 30 years. Big five inventory, Online Communication Attitude scale, Online Fear of Missing Out Inventory and Generic scale of phubbing were used in the present study. Results revealed positive correlation between Extraversion, Conscientiousness, Neuroticism and Openness with fear of missing out and phubbing Behavior whereas negative correlation between Agreeableness and phubbing. Furthermore, the regression analysis revealed that Extraversion, Conscientiousness, Neuroticism and Openness with fear of missing out were positively predicting phubbing behavior. Further, findings revealed that fear of missing out; self-disclosure and ease act as a mediator between personality traits and phubbing behavior. Results revealed that women score higher on phubbing and fear of missing out as compared to men. Present study will be helpful for psychologists to develop intervention and therapeutic techniques to reduce the impact of phubbing.