Prediction of academic burnout and academic performance based on the need for cognition and general self-efficacy: A cross-sectional analytical study

Abstract

One of the main challenges of nursing education is students’ academic burnout due to the stressors associated with nursing practice. Therefore, identifying and predicting cognitive and motivational factors behind academic burnout and academic performance are of great importance. This study aimed to predict nursing students’ academic burnout and academic performance based on the need for cognition and general self-efficacy and also to assess the mediation effects of the need for cognition and general self-efficacy. This was a cross-sectional analytical study. Two Faculties of Nursing and Midwifery in Shiraz and Rafsanjan, Iran. A sample of 337 bachelor’s nursing students. Data were collected using a demographic and academic characteristics questionnaire, Cacioppo and Petty’s Need for Cognition Scale, Sherer’s General Self-Efficacy Scale, and Maslach’s Burnout Inventory-Student Survey. Academic performance was also measured based on students’ grade point average. Data analysis was performed via Pearson correlation analysis, simple and multiple regression analyses, and Sobel test equation for mediation effects. Analyses revealed the significant positive correlation of general self-efficacy with the need for cognition and academic performance as well as the significant inverse correlation of academic burnout with the need for cognition, general self-efficacy, and academic performance. However, the need for cognition was not significantly correlated with academic performance. Moreover, the need for cognition and general self-efficacy simultaneously predicted 16.8 of the variance of academic burnout, while only general self-efficacy was the significant predictor of academic performance, accounting for 3.5 of its total variance. General self-efficacy mediated the relationship of the need for cognition and academic burnout. Also, the need for cognition mediated the relationship of general self-efficacy and academic burnout (P < 0.001). Interventions for improving students’ self-efficacy and need for cognition can help reduce their academic burnout and improve their academic performance. © 2018 Revista Latinoamericana de Hipertension. All Rights Reserved.