Dr. Claire Hart

But they were also more likely to actually engage in fubbing.

Which was really, really interesting.

Those who were avoidantly attached.

So they were particularly likely to perceive fubbing, but they weren't actually more likely to fub themselves.

Right.

But then we did something a little bit more interesting.

So we tried to look at, you know, like what's that psychological bridge?

And we threw out materialism.

So we found that people who actually place greater importance on their possessions, their status, their external sort of symbols of success were actually more likely to translate that attachment insecurity into fobbing behaviours.

That's right.

I mean, some of our previous research actually showed that the more likely you are to perceive your partner as fubbing you, the more likely you are to retaliate, pick up your own phone and start fubbing in return.

Now, obviously, that's kind of dodgy territory because you can end up sort of in this cycle of disconnection.

Yeah, exactly.

Ultimately, what you want is to have a good argument about it, to actually say, well, actually, no, I'm not just going to fob you.

I'm feeling hurt by what you're doing.

I'd like you to try to validate me because I'm currently using my phone to validate myself.

Yeah, I mean, you're exactly right.

Smartphones are like these powerful little tools that immediately allow us to access these things.

So there's those constant opportunities to check your messages, to monitor your social standing, to compare yourself against other people.

And that can act as a way of sort of momentarily reassuring you.