Abstract
Academic burnout is prevalent among university students, although understanding of what predicts burnout is limited. This study aimed to test the direct and indirect relationship between two dimensions of perfectionism (Perfectionistic Concerns and Perfectionistic Strivings) and the three elements of Academic Burnout (Exhaustion, Inadequacy, and Cynicism) through Repetitive Negative Thinking. In a cross-sectional survey, undergraduate students (n = 126, Mage = 23.64, 79% female) completed well-validated measures of Perfectionism, Repetitive Negative Thinking, and Academic Burnout. Perfectionistic Concerns was directly associated with all elements of burnout, as well as indirectly associated with Exhaustion and Cynicism via Repetitive Negative Thinking. Perfectionistic Strivings was directly associated with less Inadequacy and Cynicism; however, there were no indirect associations between Perfectionistic Strivings and Academic Burnout operating through Repetitive Negative Thinking. Repetitive Negative Thinking was also directly related to more burnout Exhaustion and Inadequacy, but not Cynicism. It is concluded that future research should investigate whether interventions targeting Perfectionistic Concerns and Repetitive Negative Thinking can reduce Academic Burnout in university students.
Highlights
Individuals experiencing burnout have difficulty committing to the task at hand, feel detached and dissatisfied with their work, and are less productive (Leiter & Maslach, 2003)
These findings suggest that Perfectionistic Concerns is an important predictor of Academic Burnout among university students and represents a viable target for interventions aimed at reducing burnout in this population
Repetitive Negative Thinking was directly associated with burnout Exhaustion and burnout Inadequacy
Summary
Individuals experiencing burnout have difficulty committing to the task at hand, feel detached and dissatisfied with their work, and are less productive (Leiter & Maslach, 2003). Research has identified three main dimensions of burnout: Exhaustion, Cynicism, and Inadequacy. Exhaustion refers to the stress that leaves an individual feeling unable to commit to the task at hand (Maslach & Jackson, 1981). Cynicism refers to an individual’s cynical attitude toward work, which leads to negative, detached feelings towards their work (Leiter & Maslach, 2003). Inadequacy refers to the individual feeling incompetent at work, which is often accompanied by reduced productivity and dissatisfaction with their work achievements (Leiter & Maslach, 2003). Whilst much research has studied burnout in the workplace, recent research is exploring how these aspects of burnout present in university students, which is important given evidence that Academic Burnout is associated with poor educational outcomes (Mazurklewicz et al, 2011; Zhang, Gan & Cham, 2007)
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