This mixed-method experiment aimed to investigate the impact of phubbing (i.e. ignoring someone while giving attention to one’s smartphone) on performance, first impressions, and subjective state. 93 participants took part in a simulated job interview based on the Trier Social Stress Test, composed of an interview and a mental arithmetic task. During both tasks, participants in the experimental group were repeatedly phubbed. Results of a within-session analysis revealed that participants in the experimental group performed significantly faster on a mental arithmetic task when they were not phubbed. As expected, phubbed participants judged the interviewer to be less professional and less fair than participants in the control group. Furthermore, the participants’ subjective state was affected by phubbing, with self-esteem decreasing and negative affect increasing. Lastly, a qualitative analysis of participants' responses revealed tendencies to rationalize the interviewer’s phubbing behavior. This study demonstrated negative effects of phubbing on first impressions, subjective state and objective measures of performance in a professional setting.

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