The Influence Of Phubbing On The Empathy Accuracy ——A Moderated Mediation Model

Empathy accuracy is crucial for interpersonal communication,and contextual factors affect individuals’ empathy accuracy.This study explored the influence of phubbing context on the empathy accuracy and the mediating role of self-depletion in this relationship.A total of 185 college students were recruited in the experiment.The participants were made into different levels of phubbing behavior scenarios using phubbing video materials,and then the empathy accuracy was measured.The results show that phubbing behavior negatively predicts empathy accuracy.Experimental 2 used experimental-causal-chain design,and including two small experiments.the results showed that self-depletion mediated the main effect.In Experiment 2 a,a total of 196 college students were recruited,using phubbing video materials to make participants into different levels of phubbing behavior scenarios,and then measure their self-depletion.The results showed that the individuals’ phubbing behavior positively predicts the degree of self-depletion.Experiment 2 b recruited 132 college students as participants.Non-dominant hand written tasks were used to manipulate the degree of self-depletion,and then the empathy accuracy was measured.The results showed that self-depletion negatively predicted empathy accuracy.Experiment 3 used measurement-of-mediation design to further verify the intermediary role of self-depletion in the influence of phubbing behavior on empathy accuracy.185 college students were recruited.First of all,the participants were substituted into different degrees of phubbing behavior scenarios by using phubbing video materials.Secondly,three items were used to measure the subjects’ self-depletion after completing the phubbing behavior manipulation.Finally,the empathy accuracy was measured.The results show that phubbing behavior negatively predicts empathy accuracy;phubbing behavior positively predicts self-depletion;self-depletion negatively predicted empathy accuracy;and self-depletion plays a partial mediating role in the influence of phubbing behavior on empathy accuracy.Analysis showed that gender moderated the latter half path and direct path of the above mediation model.Specifically,in female participants,the prediction coefficient of phubbing behavior on empathy accuracy was higher.Moreover,only female participants found the mediating effect of self-depletion in the relationship between phubbing behavior and empathy accuracy.This study finds that the less phubbing behavior individuals suffer in interpersonal communication,the smaller the negative impact of empathy accuracy,and thus promote the healthy development of interpersonal relationships.