Motivational Orientation and Burnout among Undergraduate College Students

This study examined the relationships among motivational orientations based on self-determination theory (Ryan & Deci, 2000b) and burnout among undergraduate college students. A sample of 191 university students was administered the Academic Motivation Scale (Vallerand et al., 1992) and the Maslach Burnout Inventory--Student Survey (Schaufeli, Martinez, Pinto, Salanova & Bakker, 2002). The results suggest that intrinsic motivation to attend college was associated with lower levels of burnout, while amotivation and external regulation were associated with higher levels of burnout. Identified regulation was negatively related to one dimension of burnout (i.e., professional efficacy). The results and their implications for practice and future research are discussed in the context of self-determination theory. ********** Burnout is most commonly conceptualized within the literature as a psychological syndrome stemming from one's relationship with work, and characterized by three dimensions: overwhelming exhaustion, feelings of cynicism and detachment, and a sense of ineffectiveness on the job (Maslach, Schaufeli, & Leiter, 2001; Schaufeli & Buunk, 2003). Since the concept of burnout emerged in the literature in the 1970's, it has been the focus of a substantial body of research, primarily as a phenomenon related to the context of work within the occupational structure (Maslach et al., 2001). Research results do suggest that college students also experience burnout (Jacobs & Dodd, 2003; Meier & Schmeck, 1985), however, this research is somewhat limited. Therefore additional information is necessary to more fully understand the phenomenon of burnout among the general college student population, and to apply effective interventions to reduce burnout. When burnout first appeared in the literature it was considered conceptually ambiguous, was often referred to as "pop" psychology, and was treated with skepticism by the academic community (Maslach et al., 2001). Moreover, it was conceptually limited to explaining a phenomenon experienced specifically by individuals within the human services and educational professions. After more than 30 years and over six thousand published articles, burnout has become a legitimate and vitally important scientific construct within the professional literature (Schaufeli & Buunk, 2003). This body of research has solidified the aforementioned three-dimensional operational definition of burnout, and has broadened the definition to depict a psychological phenomenon related to work in general (Maslach et al., 2001). Exhaustion refers to the feeling of being emotionally and physically drained as a reaction to work related stress. Cynicism is often an immediate reaction to exhaustion that can prompt individuals to cognitively distance themselves from their work. Professional efficacy is an erosion of belief in one's personal effectiveness, and can be a function of either exhaustion, cynicism, or both (Maslach et al., 2001). An empirical examination of burnout among college students is important for several reasons. First, as alluded to earlier, research results suggest that the general college student population experiences fairly high levels of burnout (Jacobs & Dodd, 2003; Meier & Schmeck, 1985). However, more research is needed to examine the prevalence of burnout within this population using the most current constructs and assessments. Second, academic performance has been found to be significantly related to measures of burnout in the college student population (Jacobs & Dodd, 2003; McCarthy, Pretty, & Cattano, 1990). Third, burnout has been empirically associated with a myriad of mental health related issues such as depression (Glass & McNight, 1996), and substance abuse (Nowack & Pentkowski, 1994). Lastly, burnout has been associated with factors in the world of work that are analogous to student retention and persistence such as intention to leave employment, and reduced organizational commitment (Lee & Ashforth, 1996). …