Engagement, boredom, and burnout among students: Basic need satisfaction matters more than personality traits

Abstract

Drawing on the Five Factor Personality Model and Self-Determination Theory, the current study examines the relations between three different kinds of well-being - engagement, boredom, and burnout- and personality, and evaluates whether basic need satisfaction has an incremental contribution over personality in explaining these types of well-being. In a sample of 255 students we found that agreeableness and neuroticism were significantly related to each well-being dimension, whereas conscientiousness was only significantly related to engagement and to boredom, and extraversion being only significantly related to burnout. Need satisfaction significantly contributed to well-being, over and above personality. Results indicate that certain personality factors play a role in well-being, but that the fulfillment of the needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness is of additional importance.