Researcher Background

I am a PhD clinical psychology student at Dalhousie University. I identify as queer and believe that marginalized communities deserve to be and should be part of research which is why my primary area of research targets the LGBTQ+ community. My first paper looked at sexting motivations in sexual and gender minorities which aligns with my current study which looks at how smartphone use impacts relationship satisfaction and mental well-being in queer couples.

Purpose of this Research Project

Over the past two decades, the rise of technology has led to smartphones and their use becoming an integral part of people’s lives. Smartphones have become more than just a tool for communication, which means people are using their phones now more than ever (Parasuraman et al., 2017). Smartphone usage has numerous advantages, but it has also raised concerns about its impact on social interaction and relationships (Misra et al., 2016).

In light of these concerns, researchers have begun to examine the effects and consequences of phubbing on romantic relationships. Phubbing can be described as the act of ignoring one’s company to be on your phone (Ugur & Koc, 2015). Phubbing within a romantic relationship is called partner-phubbing (Roberts & David, 2016). Most research so far has shown that partner phubbing is associated with increased romantic jealousy, which results in reduced relationship satisfaction and mental well-being in heterosexual couples (David & Roberts, 2021; Roberts & David, 2016; Thomas et al., 2022; Yam, 2023). However, researchers have yet to examine the effects of partner phubbing in LGBTQ+ relationships. We know that LGBTQ+ individuals face stressors that heterosexual individuals do not, which can impact not only their phubbing behaviours but also their perception of it. Minority stress is one of the many stressors experienced by LGBTQ+ individuals (Meyer, 2003). Minority stress theory states that facing discrimination and stigma because of one’s sexual orientation and/or gender identity can lead to poor mental well-being (Meyer, 2003). Factors such as minority stress, level of outness, and attachment style may exacerbate negative perceptions of a partner’s phubbing, ultimately leading to reduced relationship satisfaction and mental well-being.

The current study will focus on how partner phubbing impacts relationship satisfaction and mental well-being in 150 LGBTQ+ adults in romantic relationships. It will examine whether there is a difference between a partner’s reported phubbing behaviour and their partner’s perception of it, and how factors such as attachment style, minority stress, outness, and social support mediate these effects. Once participants have been screened, informed, and consented to the study, they will complete a survey on REDCap, including measures and demographic information. The data analyses will be carried out with R statistics software. The Actor-Partner Interdependence Model will be used to determine if the hypotheses are supported.

 

 

How this Research Will Help 2SLGBTQ+ People and Communities

The results of this study will help researchers understand how partner phubbing impacts LGBTQ+ romantic relationships, what stressors might make individuals hyper-sensitive to their partners' phubbing, and whether or not social support serves as a protective factor against the negative effects of perceived partner phubbing. Should the hypotheses be confirmed, the findings could bring awareness to the consequences of partner phubbing in LGBTQ+ couples and start a discussion on how to mitigate these consequences. This research intends to lay the groundwork for future studies to develop interventions to help LGBTQ+ couples have healthier and long-lasting relationships.

Eligibility & Participation

Participants will include 150 LGBTQ+ adult couples from local universities, the surrounding Halifax Regional Municipality community, and across Canada. Pre-screening will be conducted to include only participants who: (a) are above 18 years of age (the age of 18 is generally considered the beginning of adulthood); (b) are in a committed romantic relationship (because of the nature of the study, the participant must currently be in a relationship); and (c) must identify as part of the LGBTQ+ community (because sexual and gender minorities are the target population).

Compensation

Each partner will receive a 20$ amazon gift card.

Participant Support & Mitigation Measures

Participants will be provided with a list of mental health resources and hotlines in the Informed Consent Form .

How to Participate / Recruitment

Recruitment will be conducted by research assistants. This will include posting information on our social media platforms about this study, publishing and renewing paid online ads (e.g., Kijiji, Meta), printing and putting up physical posters around the Halifax metro area and reaching out to relevant organizations’ social media accounts to ask if they would be willing to share information about our study with their audiences.