Exploring the antecedents and consequences of phone snubbing behaviors in collaborative learning

The purpose of this study was to explore the antecedents (social anxiety and collective efficacy) and consequences (learning disengagement) of phone snubbing behaviors (phubbing and being phubbed) in collaborative learning. A total of 100 Taiwanese university students participated in this study. We employed partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) to evaluate the hypothesized model. The main results indicate that, first, university students’ collective efficacy was a negative predictor of phubbing, and phubbing behavior was a significant factor in positively predicting all the dimensions, including behavioral, emotional, social, and cognitive disengagement. Second, social anxiety was a positive predictor of phubbed behavior. Yet, phubbed behavior could only positively predict emotional disengagement and social disengagement. This research may offer insights into the causes of students’ phubbing, being phubbed, and the impacts of those situations on their learning engagement in a collaborative learning environment.