Disconnected Minds: How Phubbing Fuels Foreign Language Anxiety and Academic Delay Behaviors in University Students

Abstract

Phubbing – ignoring others by focusing on smartphones – has become prevalent among university students, potentially contributing to foreign language anxiety (FLA) and academic delay behaviors. Despite growing research interest, the psychological mechanisms linking these phenomena remain underexplored. This study examined whether FLA mediates the relationship between phubbing and academic delay behaviors among Egyptian university students using a cross-sectional correlational design. Two samples participated: a psychometric validation sample (N = 642) and a main study sample (N = 1,062), recruited from Al-Azhar University, Egypt, through convenience sampling via their respective academic departments. Participants completed online questionnaires via Google Forms including the Generic Scale of Phubbing, Short-Form Foreign Language Anxiety Scale, and Academic Procrastination Scale–Short Form. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS-29 and AMOS-27, with mediation analysis employing Hayes' PROCESS macro, Model 4, with 5,000 bootstrap resamples. Results revealed that FLA significantly mediated the phubbing-academic delay relationship, accounting for 40.21% of the total effect (indirect effect: b = 0.020, 95% CI [0.011, 0.029]), with the direct effect remaining significant, indicating partial mediation. Significant positive correlations emerged among all variables, with phubbing predicting FLA (β = 0.292) and FLA predicting academic delays (β = 0.328). This study is among the first to explore this relationship in Egyptian higher education, indicating that anxiety is a key pathway linking smartphone-related disruptions to academic performance. Universities should consider strategies that combine smartphone management with anxiety reduction, while future research should use longitudinal designs and examine other potential mediators.