Mediating role of phubbing in the relationship between emotion regulation and young adults' marital expectations.

This study examined the associations between emotion regulation and marital expectations among unmarried young adults and whether these associations included statistically significant indirect associations through phubbing. Utilizing a cross-sectional correlational design, data were collected from 627 unmarried young adults aged 18-35 using the Marital Expectations Scale, Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire, and Generic Scale of Phubbing. Pearson correlation and bootstrap-based mediation analyses were conducted. Results indicated that marital expectations correlated positively with positive emotion regulation and negatively with phubbing, while negative emotion regulation was positively associated with phubbing. Bootstrap analyses identified statistically significant indirect associations through phubbing for both positive and negative emotion regulation. The negative emotion regulation model showed an inconsistent mediation pattern, with the direct and indirect associations operating in opposite directions. Supplementary analyses indicated that these indirect patterns remained when age and gender were controlled. These cross-sectional findings describe statistical associations and do not establish temporal or causal mediation. Overall, young adults' marital expectations are linked to both emotional processes and digital interpersonal attention patterns, highlighting the need to consider contemporary digital behaviors alongside developmental and sociodemographic influences in future relational research.