Spouse’s self-control and their marital satisfaction: The actor and partner effect of spousal phubbing

The widespread use of and dependence on smartphones has resulted in spousal marital satisfaction being affected by partner phubbing behavior. We investigated the mediating effect of phubbing on the link between self-control and marital satisfaction for both actors and partners. We used the Smartphone Addiction Scale for Chinese Adults, the Self-Control Scale, and the Olson Enrich Marital Inventory to assess 676 Chinese couples with at least one child. Self-control had a significantly positive correlation with marital satisfaction, and spouses’ phubbing partially mediated the relationship between participants’ self-control and marital satisfaction, thus indicating a significant actor effect. Only a husband’s phubbing significantly mediated the path between the husband’s self-control and wife’s marital satisfaction, thereby suggesting different partner effect patterns. These findings imply that self-control is a positive factor in marital satisfaction, and a spouse’s phubbing may also play a negative role in marital satisfaction.