Publication Type

Journal Article

Version

acceptedVersion

Publication Date

9-2025

Abstract

Burnout has become increasingly prevalent in contemporary society, affecting not only those in the workplace but also students across various educational settings. The current study investigates whether the pervasive social expectancies to be constantly available and productive contribute to the onset and maintenance of academic burnout among university students. Using a 13-week longitudinal design and a random-intercept cross-lagged panel model, we examined the bidirectional association between social expectancies to be constantly available and productive and academic burnout. Our findings indicate that heightened social expectancies predict increases in emotional exhaustion and feelings of inadequacy in the following week. Furthermore, emotional exhaustion, feelings of inadequacy, and cynicism predict increases in social expectancies to be constantly available and productive in the following week. The bidirectional associations suggest a vicious cycle where burnout and social expectancies to be constantly available and productive reinforce each other, leading to deteriorating mental health over time. The findings highlight the need for comprehensive interventions that address both external pressures imposed by societal and institutional norms and the internal psychological responses of individuals in reducing burnout.

Keywords

Social expectancies, productivity, constant availability, burnout, emotional exhaustion

Discipline

Applied Behavior Analysis | Social Psychology

Research Areas

Psychology

Publication

Motivation and Emotion

First Page

1

Last Page

15

ISSN

0146-7239

Identifier

10.1007/s11031-025-10164-8

Publisher

Springer

Embargo Period

9-29-2025

Copyright Owner and License

Authors

Additional URL

https://doi.org/10.1007/s11031-025-10164-8

Download

Share

COinS