Relationship between Communication Patterens, Partner Phubbing and Marital Satisfaction among Married Couples

Abstract

The purpose of the current study was to investigate the relationship between married couples’ pattern of communication, partner phubbing, and marital satisfaction. Healthy relationships depend on effective communication whereas avoidance and demanding types of communication damages relationships. Partner phubbing is when one spouse uses their phone extensively while neglecting the other can have an adverse effect on the quality of the relationship. A survey method was used to gather data from 209 couples in Islamabad, Rawalpindi and Sawat as part of a quantitative, correlational study design. Purposive sampling was used to choose the participants, who were between the ages of 18 to 65. The study utilized the Communication Patterns Questionnaire-Revised (CPQ-R), the Partner Phubbing Scale, and the ENRICH Marital Satisfaction Scale to measure key variables. The findings revealed that constructive communication was positively associated with marital satisfaction in both husbands and wives. Conversely, self-demand/partner-withdraw and partner-demand/self-withdraw communication patterns were negatively correlated with marital satisfaction. Partner phubbing demonstrated a significant negative relationship with marital satisfaction, with wives reporting higher levels of partner phubbing compared to husbands. Regression analysis indicated that constructive communication significantly predicted higher marital satisfaction, while partner phubbing emerged as a negative predictor. Additionally, demographic variables such as gender, type of marriage, and employment status influenced communication patterns and partner phubbing behavior.