The Buffering Effect of Phubbing: A Study on the Relationship Between Social Exclusion, Psychological Capital, and Sense of Gain Among College Students

Prior research has consistently highlighted the pivotal role of interpersonal relationships in fostering adolescents' sense of gain. However, relatively little attention has been given to the potential risk factors embedded within these relationships, particularly how social exclusion may impair this psychological outcome. Moreover, the underlying psychological mechanisms—specifically the mediating and moderating processes—linking social exclusion to adolescents' sense of gain remain underexplored. To address this gap, the present study draws upon self-determination theory and social identity theory to examine the impact of social exclusion on college students' sense of gain. In addition, informed by the Conservation of Resources Theory and the Loss Compensation Hypothesis, we investigate the mediating role of psychological capital in this relationship and further explore whether phubbing moderates the initial path from social exclusion to psychological capital within the proposed mediation model. A total of 2,101 Chinese college students completed measures of demographic information, the Social Exclusion Scale, the Phubbing Scale, the Psychological Capital Scale, and the Sense of Gain Scale. Results showed that (a) social exclusion significantly and negatively predicted college students' sense of gain; (b) social exclusion also significantly reduced psychological capital, which in turn was positively associated with a sense of gain, indicating a partial mediating effect of psychological capital in the relationship between social exclusion and sense of gain; and moderated mediation analysis further revealed that (c) phubbing moderated the effect of social exclusion on psychological capital. Specifically, phubbing served as a compensatory function, buffering the negative impact of social exclusion on psychological capital. In summary, this study reveals the underlying mechanisms by which social exclusion impacts college students' sense of gain. The findings provide important theoretical and practical implications for promoting a sense of gain among university students.