Skip to content

Snooping through your partner’s phone? It might not end as badly as you think: study

More than half of relationships survived the incident, a UBC study suggests
17107757_web1_cellphone
(Black Press Media files)

Snooping through your significant other’s phone is usually considered a bad sign but a recent UBC study suggests it might not be as big a deal-breaker as you fear.

A UBC and the University of Lisbon study asked 102 people to recount when either they snooped in someone else’s phone or someone else looked through theirs.

Of the 46 who provided information about if the relationship they were in at the time ended, 25 said it did not, while 21 said it did.

“In cases where the relationship ended, it was either because the phone owner felt their trust was betrayed or the relationship was also experiencing difficulties,” said study author Ivan Beschastnikh, a professor of computer science at UBC.

In cases where the relationship stayed strong, it was because the person whose phone was looked through took it as a sign they needed to reassure their partner of their commitment to the relationship.

Researchers said that although the study was small, it was the first look into why people snooped.

“The fact that people snoop is widely known, but we know much less about exactly why they do what they do, and about the eventual impact on their relationships,” said Beschastnikh. “This study contributes new insights to that discussion straight from those who have experienced snooping, and hopefully prompts more research down the line.”

ALSO READ: As more women head to work, men step up around the house: B.C. study

ALSO READ: Canadian TV, film industry making progress on gender, but not race: study


Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.