FUNDAÇÃO GETULIO VARGAS

ESCOLA DE ADMINISTRAÇAO DE EMPRESAS DE SÃO PAULO

VITORIA LUMI ANTONIO MURAOKA

AN EXAMINATION OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SELF-COMPASSION AND

BURNOUT

SÃO PAULO
2021
 VITORIA LUMI ANTONIO MURAOKA

AN EXAMINATION OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SELF-COMPASSION AND

BURNOUT

This monography was presented to Fundação

Getulio Vargas’ São Paulo School of
Business Administration (FGV EAESP), as a
requirement for the bachelor's degree in
Business Administration.

Field of knowledge: Psychology

Advisor: Prof. Marcelo de Andrade Pinheiro,

Ph.D.

SÃO PAULO
2021
Muraoka, Vitoria.
An Examination of the Relationship Between Self-Compassion and Burnout.
Vitoria Muraoka. - 2021.
45p.

Advisor: Marcelo de Andrade Pinheiro

Monography (bachelor) - Fundação Getulio Vargas’ São Paulo School of
Business Administration.

1. Self-compassion. 2. Burnout. 3. Relationship. 4. Symptoms. 5. Causes. I.

Pinheiro, Marcelo. II. Monography (bachelor) - Fundação Getulio Vargas’ São
Paulo School of Business Administration. III. An Examination of the Relationship
Between Self-Compassion and Burnout
 VITORIA LUMI ANTONIO MURAOKA

AN EXAMINATION OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SELF-COMPASSION AND

BURNOUT

This monography was presented to Fundação

Getulio Vargas’ São Paulo School of
Business Administration (FGV EAESP), as a
requirement for the bachelor's degree in
Business Administration.

Field of knowledge: Psychology

Approved in:

___/___/___

Examination board:

____________________________________
Prof. Marcelo de Andrade Pinheiro, Ph.D.
(Advisor)
FGV-EAESP

____________________________________
Prof. Paulo Eduardo Ferreira de Souza
Marzionna, Ph.D.
FGV-EAESP
 ABSTRACT

The present study aims to investigate the relationship between self-compassion and burnout
dimensions. It was hypothesized that there would be moderate to strong correlations between
the two, given that self-compassion is a coping strategy that has been shown to help individuals
in moments of suffering. In addition, this study also sought to document a series of self-reported
burnout symptoms and causes indicated by the analyzed sample.

A sample of 137 undergraduate students completed measures of self-compassion (Self-

Compassion Scale) and burnout (Maslach Burnout Inventory - Student Survey), and results
were run in a correlation analysis. Moreover, participants who self-identified as experiencing
burnout could voluntarily answer two open-ended questions regarding their experience of the
syndrome. A qualitative thematic analysis was then run to determine the primary symptoms
and causes indicated by the sample.

The correlation analysis indicated that self-compassion components correlated very weakly or
weakly with burnout components. The thematic analysis resulted in 11 symptoms and 8 causes
themes.

Overall, the findings suggest that self-compassion has a very subtle association with burnout.
Additionally, among others, participants believed that study overload and online education
have led them to experience burnout, and results indicate that lack of motivation, exhaustion
and feeling stressed were the most nominated causes of the condition.

Key words: Self-compassion; Burnout; Relationship; Symptoms; Causes.

 RESUMO

O presente estudo tem por objetivo investigar a relação entre as dimensões de autocompaixão
e burnout. Foi hipotetizado que haveria uma correlação moderada a forte entre os dois, visto
que a autocompaixão é uma estratégia de enfrentamento que tem demonstrado ajudar
indivíduos a enfrentarem momentos difíceis. Além disso, este estudo também buscou
documentar quais fatores foram identificados como sintomas e causas do burnout.

Uma amostra composta por 137 alunos de graduação completou questionários que medem
autocompaixão (Escala de Autocompaixão) e burnout (Inventário de Burnout de Maslach
(MBI-SS)), e os resultados desses foram analisados através de um estudo de correlação. Além
disso, os participantes que se identificaram como estando em burnout puderam responder
voluntariamente a duas perguntas abertas sobre sua experiência da síndrome. Uma análise
temática foi então executada para determinar os sintomas e as causas mais indicadas pela
amostra.

A análise de correlação indicou que os componentes de autocompaixão se correlacionaram

muito fracamente ou fracamente com os componentes de burnout. A análise temática resultou
em onze temas relacionados aos sintomas da síndrome e oito temas referentes às suas causas.

No geral, as descobertas sugerem que a autocompaixão está associada, de maneira sutil, ao

burnout. Além disso, entre outras causas, os participantes acreditaram que a sobrecarga de
estudos e o ensino à distância os levaram à experiência de burnout, e os resultados indicam que
a falta de motivação, o cansaço e o sentimento de estresse foram os sintomas mais apontados
para a condição.

Palavras-chave: Autocompaixão; Burnout; Correlação; Sintomas; Causas.

 LIST OF TABLES

Table 1 - Correlation Coefficient Interpretation Guideline......................................................19

Table 2 - Participants' Demographics I ....................................................................................20
Table 3 - Response Frequencies by Burnout Score Category ..................................................21
Table 4 - Summary of Burnout Scores .....................................................................................21
Table 5 - Response Frequencies by Self-Compassion Score Category ...................................22
Table 6 - Summary of Self-Compassion Scores ......................................................................22
Table 7 - Correlations Between Self-Compassion and Burnout Dimensions ..........................22
Table 8 - Participants' Demographics II ...................................................................................24
Table 9 - Themes and Subthemes Capturing Participants' Reported Symptoms of Burnout ..27
Table 10 - Themes and Subthemes Capturing Participant's Reported Causes of Burnout ......30
 1

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1 INTRODUCTION ...............................................................................................................9

2 LITERATURE REVIEW ................................................................................................ 10

2.1 Burnout.........................................................................................................................10
2.2 Self-compassion ...........................................................................................................13

3 METHODOLOGY ...........................................................................................................16
3.1 Participants ...................................................................................................................16
3.2 Instruments ...................................................................................................................16
3.3 Online questionnaire ....................................................................................................17
3.4 Data analysis ................................................................................................................18
3.4.1 Quantitative analysis ....................................................................................................18
3.4.2 Qualitative analysis ......................................................................................................19

4 RESULTS .........................................................................................................................20
4.1 Quantitative analysis results.........................................................................................20
4.1.1 Participants ...................................................................................................................20
4.1.2 Burnout scores ..............................................................................................................20
4.1.3 Self-compassion scores ................................................................................................ 21
4.1.4 Correlation analysis ......................................................................................................22
4.2 Qualitative thematic analysis results ............................................................................23
4.2.1 Participants ...................................................................................................................24
4.2.2 Self-reported burnout symptoms ..................................................................................24
4.2.3 Self-reported burnout causes ........................................................................................28

5 CONCLUSION .................................................................................................................31

REFERENCES .......................................................................................................................33

APPENDICES ........................................................................................................................38
Appendix A - Letter of permission to use the translated SCS .................................................39
Appendix B - Online questionnaire qualitative questions........................................................40

ANNEXES............................................................................................................................... 41
Annex A - Self-Compassion Scale...........................................................................................42
Annex B - Maslach Burnout Inventory - Student Survey ........................................................44
 9

1 INTRODUCTION

Burnout is a syndrome that arises from chronic stressors on the job, and is defined by the three
dimensions of exhaustion, cynicism, and inefficacy (Maslach et al., 2001). Despite our best
efforts, burnout has become a pervasive growing concern around the globe, impacting all ages
and types of workers.

Burnout has several implications to one’s wellbeing and health, as well as to the work
environment. Among others, on an individual level, burnout was a significant predictor of
prolonged fatigue, headaches, respiratory problems, insomnia and depressive symptoms
(Salvagioni et al., 2017). With regards to the work setting, burnout has been associated with
absenteeism, presenteeism, lower productivity and ineffectiveness at work and job
dissatisfaction (Maslach et al., 2001; Salvagioni et al., 2017).

Among the many existing strategies and practices on how to deal with burnout, this study aims
to explore how being more self-compassionate, that is, being kind, mindful and understanding
may moderate the effects of burnout. Self-compassion is a coping strategy that helps
individuals navigate difficult life events. Hence, a moderate or strong relationship between self-
compassion and burnout is expected to be found.

Although the associations between self-compassion and other constructs, such as stress,
anxiety, and depression have been relatively well documented, research on the relationship
between self-compassion and burnout is still in its nascent stages. Thus, this paper hopes to
bridge this gap in the existing literature.

The objective of this study is, therefore, to investigate the relationship between self-compassion
and burnout. In addition, we aim to enrich the existing literature on burnout by exploring self-
reported symptoms and causes of the syndrome.

This thesis is organized in five chapters. Chapter 2 reviews the pertinent literature to this paper.
Chapter 3 describes the research methodology adopted. Chapter 4 presents the findings from
the study. Finally, Chapter 5 elaborates the study conclusions.
 10

2 LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 Burnout

Social studies from the 1970s paved the way for investigation of burnout, a phenomenon that
is commonly found in the human services industry, but as a result of changing economic times,
it has become more widespread and is a major issue in more occupations (Maslach & Leiter,
1997).

Herbet Freudenberger was the first professional to describe and label a case of burnout. His
first notion of burnout emphasized a state of exhaustion brought on by working too intensely
and without regard to one’s personal need. It was primarily Freudenberger, along with Maslach,
Pines and Cherniss, who popularized the concept and recognized it as a critical issue (Farber,
1991).

As conceptualized by Maslach and colleagues (2001), burnout is a psychological syndrome in

response to chronic interpersonal stressors on the job, represented by the dimensions of
overwhelming exhaustion, feelings of cynicism and detachment from the job and a sense of
ineffectiveness and lack of accomplishment.

Emotional exhaustion is the feeling of being depleted of one’s emotional resources. Feelings
of cynicism (or depersonalization) refer to callous and detached responses to various aspects
of the job. Lastly, a sense of ineffectiveness refers to feelings of incompetence, lack of
achievement and productivity at work (Maslach et al., 2001).

Several theoretical models have been proposed to explain the development of burnout.
Following Maslach and Jackson’s (1981) model, as individuals run out of emotional resources,
they feel they are no longer able to give of themselves at a psychological level, thus being
emotionally exhausted (first dimension to emerge). In the face of exhaustion, the individuals
develop negative, cynical attitudes and try to distance themselves, as a coping strategy, giving
rise to depersonalization and detachment. Finally, workers experience decreased work output
 11

as they feel unhappy and dissatisfied with their accomplishments on the job and evaluate
themselves negatively.

Although a serious and complex issue, burnout has thrived for many years because it is not
taken seriously. Unlike other job hazards, it does not pose major risks for physical injuries or
death. Moreover, the chronic erosion of feelings and skills caused by burnout over time does
not seem as striking as an immediate crisis (Maslach & Leiter, 1997). As a result, people
misjudge its risks and treat it as no big deal.

The popular opinion on burnout is that it is a problem of the individual, thus, institutions should
not be held accountable for that matter. From this perspective, people burn out because of their
own flaws, whether it be from character, behaviour, or productivity. However, extensive
research has shown that people themselves are not to be blamed for burnout, rather it is the
social environment in which people work that seems to be the issue (Maslach & Leiter, 1997).

A job-person fit model, developed by Maslach and Leiter, (1997) that focuses on the degree of
match, or mismatch, between a person and six domains of his or her job environment tries to
elucidate that idea. According to the model, the greater the mismatch between the person and
the job, the greater the chances of that person developing burnout; conversely, the greater the
match, the greater the likelihood of engagement with work.

The model proposes six areas of work life that encompass the central relationships with
burnout: workload, control, reward, community, fairness, and values. From this model, burnout
is said to arise from mismatches between people and their work in terms of some or all of the
six areas (Maslach et al., 2001).

A mismatch in workload takes place when there is too much to do in too little time with too
few resources, or when people lack the necessary skills or inclination for a certain type of work.
Mismatches in control indicate that individuals lack control over the resources required to carry
out their work, or have insufficient authority to pursue the work in the way that they believe is
best. Mismatches in reward may be lack of financial resources, benefits proportional to
achievements or social rewards, such as recognition and appreciation. A mismatch in
community happens when people lose a sense of positive connection with others in the
workplace. Mismatches in fairness occur in the face of inequity of workload or pay, when
 12

blame is put on the wrong people, when people bend the rules to get ahead, or when evaluations
and promotions are handled inappropriately. Finally, a mismatch in values occurs when the
requirements of the job are not in line with people's personal principles.

By the end of the 20th century, 90% of published burnout research papers have been conducted
using the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) (Schaufeli et al., 2009). The original MBI
measured aspects of the burnout syndrome in human service occupations. However, in
response to its popularity, the MBI has been adapted to people from different occupations, for
example educators (Maslach et al., 2001). Respondents answer a set of items measured on a 5-
point-likert scale and in the end have 3 scores, one for each dimension, instead of one general
burnout score. There is no cut-off point that indicates whether a person suffers from burnout,
however, high scores on emotional exhaustion and depersonalization and low scores on
personal accomplishment indicate increased risk of burnout.

Burnout started as a condition studied mainly in health professionals, but has now become a
phenomenon studied worldwide in different occupations and was even listed in the 11th edition
of the World Health Organization (WHO) International Statistical Classification of Diseases
and Related Health Problems (ICD-11; WHO, 2018), being recognized as a factor influencing
health status or contact with health services, but not yet as a health disease or illness (Tavella
& Parker, 2020). Despite years of research, the concept of burnout and its measurement
continues under debate, for instance, since exhaustion is the most widely reported and analysed
component (Maslach et al., 2001), that led some to think that the other two dimensions are
unnecessary, thus a one-factor model would adequately capture burnout. Others advocate that
burnout is instead a two-dimensional construct (Demerouti et al., 2003). A third argument is
that burnout is composed of more than three constructs.

In addition, it was found that the meaning of the term burnout differs in various languages. For
some, the term “burnout” is considered too strong, hence, a milder term, usually referring to
exhaustion, is preferred. For others, “exhaustion” is the mild form of burnout, while “burnout”
is the end-stage of that process. Schaufeli, Leiter and Maslach (2009) argue that these are
incompatible with the original use of “burnout” which covered the entire range from mild to
severe symptoms.
 13

Additionally, practitioners may also differ with regards to burnout definition. Psychologists
tend to see burnout as a continuous phenomenon that arises from stressful and frustrating work
settings, whereas doctors see it as a medical condition. Thus, the definition of burnout is argued
to vary linguistically, with its context and the intentions of those using the term (Schaufeli et
al., 2009).

2.2 Self-compassion

The definition of self-compassion is closely related to the more general idea of compassion.
Compassion involves “being moved to distress by another person’s suffering and wanting to
help” (Lazarus & Lazarus, 1994). In addition, it involves offering non-judgemental
understanding to those who fail, do wrong or feel inadequate, so that their actions and
behaviours are seen through the lens of shared human fallibility (Neff, 2003).

While compassion involves being touched by the suffering of others, self-compassion entails
relating to one’s own suffering, without disconnecting from it, and generating the desire to
alleviate the pain and to heal oneself with kindness (Neff, 2003). Self-compassion is, thus,
compassion turned inwards.

Although not a new concept, self-compassion was first clearly defined and introduced into the
psychological literature nearly two decades ago by Kristen Neff in 2003. Following her
conceptualization, self-compassion is viewed as an attitude towards suffering, defined by the
presence of three components: self-kindness, common humanity and mindfulness. Each of
these components are antagonized by dimensions of self-judgement, isolation and over-
identification, respectively (Neff, 2003).

Self-kindness entails being gentle and understanding with our foibles and failures, rather than
harshly critical and judgemental (Neff, 2003). Acts of self-kindness are pragmatic because they
make suffering bearable, and allows individuals to soothe and calm their troubled minds by
offering warmth, gentleness and sympathy (Neff, 2011).
 14

The second element of self-compassion, common humanity, consists of recognising one's

experience as part of the larger human experience rather than seeing them as separating and
isolating (Neff, 2003). When painful experiences are framed by the recognition that countless
others have undergone similar hardships and that failure is part of life, the pain is softened and
people are no longer haunted by feelings of separation (Neff, 2011).

The third component of self-compassion, mindfulness, involves experiencing painful thoughts

and feelings in balanced awareness rather than over-identifying with them (Neff, 2003). The
clear seeing and non-judgmental acceptance of the present moment helps individuals to see
things just as they are, no more, no less, which allows them to respond in the most
compassionate, and therefore effective, manner (Neff, 2011).

While the three components of self-compassion are distinct, they are said to interact so as to
mutually enhance and engender one another (Neff, 2003). For example, it is argued that
individuals need a certain amount of mindfulness to allow distance from negative feelings, so
that, in turn, feelings of self-compassion and common humanity can arise. By the same token,
self-kindness and feelings of connectedness are said to increase mindfulness. Furthermore, self-
kindness and feelings of common humanity may enhance each other (Neff, 2003).

Although there are different theoretical models that measure self-compassion, the majority of
research on the topic has been assessed using the Self-Compassion Scale (Neff, 2003), which
was designed to measure Neff’s conceptualization of self-compassion. The SCS contains 26
items that assess behaviours as compassionate or uncompassionate responses in the face of
personal inadequacy or other life difficulties. The scale is composed of six subscales and
responses are given on a 5-point scale from “Almost Never” to “Almost Always”. Subscales
scores can be analysed separately or combined to generate an overall self-compassion scale.

Self-compassion can be a powerful coping strategy in moments of suffering. A growing body

of literature suggests that levels of self-compassion are linked to well-being. For example, self-
compassionate behaviours have been linked to higher levels of optimism, life satisfaction, self-
care, resilience, better sleep, body appreciation and motivation (Baker et al., 2019; Hu et al.,
2018; Imtiaz & Kamal, 2016; Kim & Ko, 2018; Moffitt et al., 2018) as well as lower levels of
perfectionism, depression, anxiety, stress, burnout, rumination and suicidal behaviours
 15

(Abdollahi et al., 2020; Baker et al., 2019; Dev et al., 2020; Imtiaz & Kamal, 2016; Kelliher et
al., 2018; Neely et al., 2009).

From its association with burnout, in an employee sample from education institutions, banks
and telecom companies, self-compassion was found to negatively correlate with emotional
exhaustion induced by workplace incivility and ostracism (Anjum et al., 2020). Although self-
compassion did not free individuals from feeling emotionally exhausted, the extent of suffering
from individuals high on self-compassion was considerably less compared to their less self-
compassionate peers (Anjum et al., 2020).

Similar results were reported in a sample of health professionals in an Intensive Care Unit of a
tertiary hospital. Gracia Gozalo and colleagues (2019) found that after a mindfulness training
program among those professionals, their levels of emotional exhaustion decreased, which
suggest that the increased self-compassionate attitudes gained from the intervention led to a
decrease in exhaustion.

Despite the existing literature reporting an association between self-compassion and emotional
exhaustion, the link between self-compassion and the other two dimensions of burnout,
depersonalization and professional efficacy, remains unclear or little explored. Therefore, this
study attempts to add knowledge to the fields of self-compassion and burnout by filling this
gap, while also documenting self-reported symptoms and causes of burnout.
 16

3 METHODOLOGY

The purpose of this study was to determine whether there is an association between levels of
self-compassion and levels of burnout using a sample of college students. This research was
designed following a mixed-method approach, in which both quantitative and qualitative data
were gathered. While the quantitative analysis addressed the link between the two constructs,
the qualitative part aimed to enrich the study by providing participants' self-reported believed
to be symptoms and causes of their experience of burnout.

3.1 Participants

Participants were drawn from a group of undergraduate students from a business school in the
city of São Paulo. The advantages of selecting a somewhat homogeneous student sample
include assumed lower response bias (Arnett, 2008; Jager et al., 2017), reduced response
variability (Blatt et al., 1982) and moderately good estimate of representative samples (Diener
et al., 1995). In addition, it has been shown that burnout is experienced by students. Burnout
among students refers to feeling exhausted because of study demands, having a cynical and
detached attitude toward one’s study, and feeling incompetent as a student (Schaufeli et al.,
2002).

3.2 Instruments

In order to measure levels of self-compassion and burnout, this study used translated versions
of the Self-Compassion Scale (SCS) (Neff, 2003), and the Maslach Burnout Inventory - Student
Survey (MBI-SS) (Schaufeli et al., 2002) by Souza and Hutz (2016), and Carlotto and Câmara,
(2006), respectively (Annex A and Annex B). (See Appendix A for permission to use the
translated SCS).
 17

3.3 Online questionnaire

Participants were sent a link to the questionnaire through their college e-mails. Online surveys
have grown in popularity because they can be launched very quickly (Bethlehem, 2009), offer
low administration costs and data is automatically entered into a database (O′Leary, 2017),
which is extremely useful for the data analysis phase.

This study's questionnaire was composed of four sections. The first section was the SCS, then
the MBI-SS, followed by a section of qualitative questions and, finally, a demographic
questionnaire. To avoid having an influence on participants' answers, the actual questionnaire
they received did not contain section labels that made any sort of reference to the instruments
used.

The SCS is a 26-item scale that assesses the three components of self-compassion: self-
kindness, common humanity, and mindfulness, as well as their opposites, self-judgement,
isolation and over-identification, respectively. It includes a 5-item self-kindness subscale, a 5-
item self-judgement subscale, a 4-item common humanity subscale, a 4-item isolation subscale,
a 4-item mindfulness subscale, and a 4-item over-identification subscale. Responses are given
on a 5-point Likert scale from 1 (“almost never”) to 5 (“almost always”). High scores on self-
kindness, common humanity, and mindfulness subscales translate into high levels of self-
compassion. Similarly, high scores on self-judgement, isolation, and over-identification
subscales translate into decreased levels of self-compassion. Subscale scores are computed by
calculating the mean of subscale item responses, and an overall total self-compassion score is
calculated by first reverse coding the negative items, then summing the six subscales.

The MBI-SS is an adaptation of the original Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), which was
designed to measure the three dimensions of burnout in student populations. It is a 15-item
inventory composed of a 5-item exhaustion subscale, a 4-item depersonalization subscale, and
a 6-item efficacy subscale. All items are scored on a 7-point Likert scale ranging from 0
(“never”) to 6 (“always”). High scores on exhaustion and depersonalization and low scores on
efficacy indicate increased risk of burnout. Subscales are not combined to form an overall
burnout score.
 18

In the third section of the questionnaire, participants were asked a yes-no question of whether
they considered themselves experiencing burnout in college. If so, they could voluntarily
answer two open-ended questions: (1) what are the symptoms that suggest you are experiencing
burnout, and (2) what reasons do you believe are leading you to experience burnout syndrome?
(Appendix B).

Lastly, the fourth section consisted of a set of four questions to assess respondents’
demographic characteristics, which included student ID, date of birth, year of study, and
gender.

3.4 Data analysis

3.4.1 Quantitative analysis

The purpose of the quantitative analysis was to determine whether there is a relationship
between levels of self-compassion and levels of burnout. Once the questionnaire was closed,
participant’s answers were transferred to an Excel spreadsheet. Next, duplicated answers were
removed, resulting in 137 unique answers.

Exhaustion, depersonalization and efficacy scores were calculated by averaging the subscales
item responses. After, total self-compassion scores for each participant were computed by, first,
reverse coding ((i.e., 1 = 5, 2 = 4, 3 = 3. 4 = 2, 5 = 1) the negative subscale items (items 1, 2,
4, 6, 8, 11, 13, 16, 18, 20, 21, 24 e 25), then calculating a total mean. In addition, scores for
each self-compassion subscales were calculated by averaging the subscales item responses.

The Excel file with each respondents’ final scores was imported into Rstudio, where a
correlation analysis between the variables was carried out to find the Pearson correlation
coefficient1 (r). To interpret the association between the two variables, if there was any (i.e. r

1 The Pearson correlation coefficient (r) is a measure of the strength between two variables. The coefficient can
take a range of values from -1 to +1. The larger the absolute value of the coefficient, the stronger the relationship
between the variables.
 19

is different from 0), the classification proposed by Evans (1996) will be used. According to
Evans, for the absolute value of r, less than 0.20 is very weak, 0.20 to 0.39 is weak, 0.40 to
0.59 is moderate, 0.60 to 0.79 is strong and 0.80 or greater is a very strong correlation (Evans,
1996) (Table 1).

Table 1 - Correlation Coefficient Interpretation Guideline

Absolute value of r Relationship strength

0.00 - 0.19 Very weak
0.20 - 0.39 Weak
0.40 - 0.59 Moderate
0.60 - 0.79 Strong
0.80 – 1.00 Very strong
Source: Evans, 1996

3.4.2 Qualitative analysis

For this part of the study, respondents’ answers for the open-ended questions from the third
section of the questionnaire were gathered in a new separate Excel file to be imported into a
qualitative data analysis computer software package where a thematic analysis was conducted.

Thematic analysis is a qualitative data analysis method that involves reading through a dataset,
such as answers to open-ended questions, individual or group interviews, group meetings and
others, and identifying the core messages or patterns in meaning across the data (Bardin, 2011).

As computer assisted qualitative data analysis software has been found to assist researchers in
their work providing efficient data management, more accurate data investigation and more
sophisticated analyses (Bassett, 2004), in the current study, participants’ responses were
analysed using the Quirkos software program.

After reading through and getting familiar with the data, codes that represent the meaning and
patterns were created and applied to the excerpts appropriate to them. Next, the codes, which
later turned into subthemes, were sorted into themes. Last, themes and subthemes were
reviewed and revised to ensure that each had enough data to support them.
 20

4 RESULTS

4.1 Quantitative analysis results

4.1.1 Participants

145 answers were collected in total, of which 137 were deemed valid for this study. The sample
was comprised of 70 male students (51.1%) and 65 female (47.4%). The average age of college
undergraduates was 21.79 years. There were 7 freshmen (5.1%), 48 sophomores (35.0%), 45
junior students (32.8%) and 37 senior students (27.0%) (Table 2).

Table 2 - Participants' Demographics I (N = 137)

Variable N %
Gender
Male 70 51.1
Female 65 47.4
Other 2 1.5
Study level
1st year 7 5.1
2nd year 48 35.0
3rd year 45 32.8
4th year 37 27.0
Source: Author’s elaboration

4.1.2 Burnout scores

Following Maslach’s suggested cut-off points, participants’ burnout subscales scores can be
classified as low, moderate, or high. On average the sample scored moderate levels of
emotional exhaustion, high levels of depersonalization and low levels of efficacy, which
suggests moderate risk of burnout. Moderate emotional exhaustion was reported by 61 students
(44.5%), while 24 (17.5%) reported high levels of the same dimension (increased risk of
burnout). 73 students (53.3%) scored high in depersonalization (increased risk of burnout),
 21

while 35 (25.5%) reported low levels of the same dimension. 124 students (90.5%) reported
low levels of efficacy (increased risk of burnout), while 13 (9.5%) scored moderate and none
believed to be high on efficacy (Table 3). Table 4 summarizes participants’ burnout scores.

Table 3 - Response Frequencies by Burnout Score Category

Burnout N %
Emotional Exhaustion (range 0 - 54)
Low (0 - 16) 52 38.0
Moderate (17 - 26) 61 44.5
High (27 or over) 24 17.5
Depersonalization (range 0 - 30)
Low (0 - 6) 35 25.5
Moderate (7 - 12) 29 21.2
High (13 or over) 73 53.3
Efficacy (range 0 - 48)
Low (0 - 31) 124 90.5
Moderate (32 - 38) 13 9.5
High (39 or over) 0 0
Source: Author’s elaboration

Table 4 - Summary of Burnout Scores

Burnout Measure Mean SD Range

Emotional Exhaustion
19.00 7.78 0 - 30
(range 0 - 54)
Depersonalization
13.04 7.28 0 - 24
(range 0 - 30)
Efficacy
22.42 7.53 0 - 36
(range 0 - 48)
Source: Author’s elaboration

4.1.3 Self-compassion scores

Following Neff’s suggested cut-off points, participants’ total self-compassion score can be
classified as low, moderate or high. 42 students (30.7%) were low in self-compassion, 65
(47.4%) were moderate and 30 (21.9%) were high (Table 5). Table 6 summarizes participants’
self-compassion scores.
 22

Table 5 - Response Frequencies by Self-Compassion Score Category

Self-compassion (range 1 - 5) N %
Low (1 - 2.5) 42 30.7
Moderate (2.5 - 3.5) 65 47.4
High (3.5 - 5) 30 21.9
Source: Author’s elaboration

Table 6 - Summary of Self-Compassion Scores

Self-Compassion
Mean SD Range
Measure (range 1 – 5)
Total Self-Compassion 2.90 0.73 1.23 - 4.35
Self-Kindness 2.91 0.91 1.00 - 4.80
Self-Judgment 3.42 0.95 1.20 - 5.00
Common Humanity 3.03 0.86 1.00 - 5.00
Isolation 3.08 1.12 1.00 - 5.00
Mindfulness 3.36 0.91 1.00 - 5.00
Over-Identification 3.35 0.99 1.25 - 5.00
Source: Author’s elaboration

4.1.4 Correlation analysis

Table 7 presents the correlations of the total self-compassion score and its subscales scores
(self-kindness, self-judgement, common humanity, isolation, mindfulness and over-
identification) with the burnout subscales (emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and
efficacy).

Table 7 - Correlations Between Self-Compassion and Burnout Dimensions

Emotional
Depersonalization Efficacy
Exhaustion
Total Self-Compassion -0.20 -0.15 0.30
Self-Kindness -0.08 -0.04 0.22
Self-Judgment 0.13 0.06 -0.10
Common Humanity -0.01 0.06 0.14
Isolation 0.28 0.34 -0.29
Mindfulness -0.10 -0.11 0.32
Over-Identification 0.26 0.17 -0.32
Source: Author’s elaboration
 23

Following Evans' suggested classification for the absolute value of correlation (chapter 3), it
was found that all variables were statistically associated, however, correlations were either very
weak or weak. The results indicate a very weak negative association between self-compassion
and emotional exhaustion, as well as between self-compassion and depersonalization. The
negative direction of these relationships were expected given that self-compassion helps to
alleviate one's pain in moments of suffering (Neff, 2003), thus, decreasing feelings of being
overextended and detached responses to aspects of student's academic life. However, it might
do so only to a certain extent given the very weak association.

Self-compassion and efficacy showed a stronger, but still weak positive association. A positive
relationship was as well expected, since a mindful mindset helps individuals to make good
choices about how to act (Neff, 2011), thus, helping students to act effectively with regards to
their studies even in times of struggle. This result is also illustrated by a slightly stronger
association between self-compassion subscale mindfulness and efficacy.

All self-compassion subscales showed some degree of association with each dimensions of
burnout, the stronger being the positive association between isolation and depersonalization.
The direction of this relationship is in line with Maslach and colleagues' (2001) proposed job-
person fit model and burnout theory. According to those authors, when some aspects of the job
isolates people and make social interaction impersonal (mismatch in community), individuals
tend to distance themselves from others (depersonalization) as a strategy to cope, thus, a
positive association between the two.

It was initially hypothesized that moderate to strong correlations would be found between self-
compassion and burnout components; this, however, was not substantiated by the data. It may
be the case that more significant associations would have been found had the study analysed
separately students high in self-compassion from students low in self-compassion to see if they
showed different levels on burnout dimensions. This analysis, nonetheless, was out of the scope
of this study.

4.2 Qualitative thematic analysis results

 24

A qualitative thematic analysis was undertaken to determine the symptoms and causes
nominated by participants. They were asked the following questions (1) what are the symptoms
that suggest you are experiencing burnout, and (2) what reasons do you believe are leading you
to experience burnout syndrome? From the thematic analyses carried out in Quirkos, there were
nearly 400 coded statements, which were combined or separated into groups of similar content.
11 themes and 48 subthemes were identified for the first question (Table 9), and 8 themes and
25 subthemes were identified for the second question (Table 10)

4.2.1 Participants

Out of the 137 respondents, 55 (40.1%) answered the two open-ended questions. There were
22 male students (38.9%) and 32 female (59.3%). The average age of college undergraduates
was 21.66 years. There were 4 freshmen (7.4%), 23 sophomores (40.7%), 19 junior students
(35.2%) and 9 senior students (16.7%) (Table 8).

Table 8 - Participants' Demographics II (N = 55)

Variable N %
Gender
Male 22 40.0
Female 32 58.2
Other 1 1.8
Study level
1st year 4 7.3
2nd year 23 41.8
3rd year 19 34.5
4th year 9 16.4
Source: Author’s elaboration

4.2.2 Self-reported burnout symptoms

Lack of motivation or passion was the most self-reported symptom, with 21.7% of respondents
describing themselves as having felt demotivated to study, apathetic or lost their passion for
 25

activities they enjoyed in the last semester. Students reported: "I feel extremely unmotivated,
to the point that I don't even feel like getting up", "My motivation dropped a lot during the
semester. There were times when I didn't feel like doing anything, not even the things I like",
"At no time did I feel motivated to study", "I feel apathy for college and most subjects"

17.2% stated that they experienced exhaustion, both emotional and physical, or similar
(tiredness, fatigue, laziness). These were captured by the following statements: "I feel
physically tired like I've run a marathon", "Every day I seem to get more tired of it all", "I'm
always too tired to talk to friends, family, or meet new people", "exhausted both physically and
emotionally".

15.3% reported feeling anxious, stressed or overwhelmed, with a student explaining that
"anxiety gripped me during finals, and after the term ended, I didn't feel relieved as I usually
do". Other subthemes that emerged included being unable to relax, episodes of panic attacks
and anger, with students stating: "I can't rest properly, I don't recharge my energy anymore",
"I have difficulty leaving school to rest", "I wake up angry at having to turn on the computer
for another class that I won't learn anything".

Low mood and depression were mentioned by 13.3% of respondents. The most prevalent
subtheme captured students' hopelessness of their future and studies. Students noted: "I have
the feeling that everything will go wrong", "hopelessness about the future", "desire to drop
everything related to college", "I have the impression that my life is not moving forward".
Similarly, students also reported being filled with sadness, drop in confidence and
discouragement.

Physical complaints were pointed by 7.4% of respondents. The most prevalent complaint was
of headaches, with students generally stating that they felt a lot of headaches for many days.
This was further elaborated by a student who claimed that "staying in front of a computer all
day taking classes and studying makes my migraine worse". In addition, breathless, dizziness,
nausea and gastritis complaints were also reported.

Some 7.4% reported reduced performance, with many sharing the feeling that they just tried
"to do the minimum to get through and not really do a good job [...]". Moreover, students felt
a decrease in their productivity levels and that they have fallen victim of procrastination.
 26

Cognition and executive functioning problems were reported by 6.4% of students. Symptoms
included concentration and attention issues the most, followed by confusion, inefficiency and
memory issues. Students recalled: "I can't pay attention to classes", "I know I have a lot to do
and study, but even though I know what I have to do, sometimes I don't seem to know where
to start", "I sometimes feel mentally confused"

Issues with sleep were nominated by nearly a fifth of participants. Insomnia was the most
prevalent subtheme, with sleepiness, difficulty in waking up and sleep changes also being
mentioned. For instance: "it's very difficult to wake up in the morning", "I feel very sleepy in
the morning", "Despite feeling constantly tired, I have difficulties in falling asleep".

One fifth of respondents commented on withdrawing themselves from colleagues and classes
as symptoms of burnout. They remarked: "I no longer want to make new friends in the
classroom", "I don't even feel like talking to classmates I was already close to in class", "I've
always enjoyed studying and learning a lot, and now I just want to disappear when it comes to
class". The lack of face to face interaction as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic may also have
contribute to respondents feeling isolated, for example: "I constantly felt alone", "I felt a lack
of sense of belonging”.

Personal carelessness and smoking were nominated by 1.0% and 0.5% of respondents,
respectively. One of the students remarked that due to activities overload he/she had to let go
of his/her self-care routine and another claimed that he/she was smoking like never before.

Overall the findings from this part of the study showed that the three components of burnout,
as defined by Maslach and colleagues (2001), were perceived as burnout symptoms by the
sample. Although exhaustion is the central quality of burnout and the most obvious
manifestation of the syndrome (Maslach et al., 2001), in our analysis perceived lack of
motivation was the most frequently nominated feature, followed by exhaustion. The other two
dimensions of burnout, depersonalization and reduced professional efficacy, were captured by
the themes of withdrawn from others and reduced performance, respectively. In addition, the
analysis also revealed that students believed that anxiety, hopelessness, physical symptoms and
others were symptoms of the condition.
 27

Table 9 - Themes and Subthemes Capturing Participants' Reported Symptoms of Burnout

Themes Subthemes N
Lack of motivation/passion Drop in motivation 25
(n = 44) Apathy 7
Lack of purpose 4
Lack of interest 3
Lack of patience 3
Reduced passion for one’s studies/activities 2

Exhaustion (n = 35) Tiredness 13

Fatigue 8
Exhaustion 7
Feeling drained 6
Laziness 1

Anxiety/Stress (n = 31) Feeling anxious 16

Feeling stressed/overwhelmed 6
Panic 3
Unable to relax 2
Anger 2
Frustration 2

Low Mood/Depression Hopelessness 11

(n = 27) Sadness 6
Drop in confidence 4
Discouragement 3
Depression 2
Alexithymia 1

Physical Symptoms Headaches 6

(n = 15) Appetite changes 2
Issues with vision 1
Breathless 1
Dizziness 1
Aches and pains 1
Nausea 1
Tachycardia 1
Gastritis 1

Reduced Performance Reduced performance or quality of output 10

(n = 15) Lower productivity 3
Procrastinating 2

Executive Functioning Concentration/attention issues 8

Issues Confusion 2
(n = 13) Inefficiency 2
Memory issues 1
 28

Sleep Disturbances Insomnia 6

(n = 10) Sleepiness 2
Difficulty in waking up 1
Sleep changes 1

Withdraw from Others Colleagues 4

(n = 10) Class 3
Feeling isolated 3

Personal Carelessness Personal carelessness 2

(n = 2)

Smoking (n = 1) Smoking 1
Source: Author’s elaboration

4.2.3 Self-reported burnout causes

Study overload was by far the most mentioned source of students' burnout, being reported by
44%. Many claimed that there was an excessive demand from professors they had to take care
of. One student said that besides college demands she still had to struggle to find time to take
care of her personal life. Pressure for good grades and performance has also taken a toll on
students, with one commenting: "[college/professors] keep pressuring us to have high grades
with an unnecessary and non-empathic approach". Other subthemes included tedious studies
routine, loads of difficult exams and work related activities. With regards to internship issues,
students expressed their concerns about managing to sustain a high performance both at work
and college.

The second most mentioned factor believed to have driven students to burnout was online
education, being mentioned by 16.6%. Students reported being unable or facing difficulties in
concentrating in their online classes. Another stated problem was of having to study in random
places of their houses in search of silence. Moreover, students also shared a common feeling
of being wiped out by sitting in a computer all day.

Being disregarded, ignored or not having support were mentioned by 14.5%. Respondents felt
that college was completely indifferent towards their needs and that there was no support from
them whatsoever. They also expressed their concerns with regards to some colleagues, the most
 29

difficult challenge being dealing with free riders in teams. Their concerns also extended to
professors, some believe that the lack of flexibility, support and empathy from professor may
have contributed to them burning out.

Lack of social interaction was nominated by over a nineth of respondents. They missed or
wanted more face to face interactions and felt that staying only at home was leading them to
distress. Some recalled: "The lack of social interaction has been weighing heavily on me", "I
miss the minimal and informal day to day interactions with colleagues and other people", "It
was very hard to miss out on college opportunities, whether it be academic, personal or social
[...]".

Personal issues, be it family, financial or relationship problems were mentioned by 8.8% of

respondents. Overall, students have generally citated financial and relationship problems as
burnout causes, without elaborating further. In the case of family issues, however, excessive
demands from parents, shift in family dynamics due to quarantine and death of relatives have
been described as burdens in student's routines.

The three final themes, referenced by 4.1%, 2,1% and 0.5% of respondents were the Covid-19
pandemic, uncertainty of the future and health negligence, respectively. The pandemic seems
to have worn most people out, as exemplified by one student who reported feeling emotionally
distressed as a result of the pandemic. Others believed that an uncertainty with regards to the
future and lack of time to take care of their health were leading them to burnout.

According to Maslach and colleagues (2001), burnout arises from mismatches between people
and their work environment in terms of workload, control, reward, community, fairness, and
values. In this study, study overload (e.g. too many projects, exams, group work), lack of
fairness (e.g. students cheating in exams, free riders), and lack of community (e.g. competition
among students, disregard from colleagues and professors) were identified as having led
students to experience burnout. In addition, among other components, parental and teacher
pressure on college achievements, lack of time to rest, and lack of social interaction were also
identified as causes of burnout for the analysed sample.
 30

Table 10 - Themes and Subthemes Capturing Participant's Reported Causes of Burnout

Themes Subthemes N
Study overload (n = 85) Activities/projects overload 31
Pressure for good grades/performance 16
Lack of leisure activities/time 10
(Long) study hours/too many classes 9
Internship/work/home office 9
Tedious studies routine 6
Exams 5

Online Education Online education 21

(n = 32) Screen time 11

Disregard College 7
(n = 28) Colleagues 7
Professors 6
Competition 5
Lack of support 2
Lack of communication 1

Lack of Social Interaction Lack of social interaction 18

(n = 18)

Personal Issues Family problems 9

(n = 17) Personal problems 3
Relationship problems 2
Financial problems 1
College Decision Disappointment 1
High school to college transition 1

Covid-19 Pandemic Covid-19 pandemic 8

(n = 8)

Uncertainty of the Future Uncertainty of the Future 4

(n = 4)

Health Negligence Health Negligence 1

(n = 1)
Source: Author’s elaboration
 31

5 CONCLUSION

The purpose of this study was to analyse the associations between self-compassion and burnout
components. A quantitative analysis of 137 responses from a sample of college students found
that self-compassion and burnout dimensions held very weak or weak associations among each
other, with absolute values of correlations ranging from 0.01 to 0.34.

In addition, a thematic analysis of believed to be symptoms and causes of burnout revealed that
students self-reported the 3 dimensions of burnout (emotional exhaustion, depersonalization,
and decreased efficacy), as conceptualized by Maslach and colleagues’ (2001), as symptoms
of the syndrome along with others physical and psychological responses. Moreover, although
students nominated some causes of burnout that incorporate Maslach and colleagues’ (2001)
job-person fit model, they also nominated some that are not envisaged by it, for example,
parental and teacher pressure on college achievements, lack of time to rest, lack of social
interaction, etc.

Some limitations should be addressed regarding this study. First, the quantitative analysis relied
on correlations analyses, which limit conclusions on directionality and causality among
variables. Second, results are subject to sampling error due to relatively small number of
respondents. Third, both quantitative and qualitative results relied on self-reported measures.

Despite these limitations, the current study contributes to the existing literature by investigating
the relationship between self-compassion and burnout dimensions. While the association
between self-compassion and exhaustion has been relatively studied, the link between self-
compassion and depersonalization and efficacy remained underexplored. Overall, our research
indicated weak associations among them. In addition, this study added knowledge to the field
of burnout by documenting a series of self-reported symptoms and causes of burnout from a
sample of college students.

Further research on these topics would be a worthwhile pursuit. Aligned with this study
limitations, future research should be carried out on larger samples, with instruments or
procedures that go beyond self-reported measures and with other statistical analyses. Moreover,
 32

the relationship between burnout and different constructs that have positive associations with
well-being should be investigated, given how pervasive burnout has become.
 33

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 38

APPENDICES
 39

APPENDIX A – LETTER OF PERMISSION TO USE THE TRANSLATED SCS

Re: Solicitação de autorização para utilização da escala de autocompaixão para uso no Brasil
Luciana Karine deSouza <lukarides@gmail.com>
Qui, 20/05/2021 19:58
Para: Vitoria Lumi <vitorialumi@hotmail.com>
Oi Vitória
No capítulo que publiquei no livro "Avaliação em Psicologia Positiva:Técnicas e Medidas"
você vai encontrar a escala atualizada e as normas para poder interpretar os escores.
Só por curiosidade, qual instrumento você pretende usar para avaliar stress?
Abraço
___________________________________________________________________________

Em qui, 20 de mai de 2021 19:11, Vitoria Lumi <vitorialumi@hotmail.com> escreveu:

Prezada Luciana Karine de Souza,

Me chamo Vitoria Lumi e atualmente sou aluna de graduação em administração de empresas

da Fundação Getúlio Vargas de São Paulo. Como projeto final para conclusão de curso estou
realizando um estudo com alunos da graduação a respeito de níveis de autocompaixão e
estresse.

Tal projeto envolve, obviamente, coleta de dados e tenho interesse em utilizar a escala
desenvolvida por Kristen Neff. Como minha amostra é composta por alunos cuja língua
materna não é inglês, acreditei que o melhor que pudesse fazer era pesquisar por uma versão
validada para o uso no Brasil, e foi assim que cheguei até seu trabalho.

Com base no exposto, venho por este meio solicitar-lhe autorização para usar a escala adaptada
em minha pesquisa.

Agradeço antecipadamente sua atenção,

Vitoria
 40

APPENDIX B – ONLINE QUESTIONNAIRE QUALITATIVE QUESTIONS

1. A Organização Mundial da Saúde descreveu o burnout como "uma síndrome resultante de

estresse crônico no local de trabalho ou de estudo o qual não foi lidado eficazmente", e
caracterizada por sentimentos de exaustão e apatia, e redução de desempenho". Você se
considera passando atualmente por uma síndrome de burnout na faculdade?

2. Em caso positivo, você poderia descrever os sintomas que sugerem que você esteja
experimentando "burnout"?

3. Quais motivos você acredita que estejam levando você a experienciar a síndrome de
burnout nesse momento? Por favor, considere e liste fatores ligados à faculdade e a outros
aspetos fora do ambiente acadêmico.
 41

ANNEXES
 42

ANNEX A - SELF-COMPASSION SCALE

COMO EU GERALMENTE LIDO COMIGO EM MOMENTOS DIFÍCEIS (Souza & Hutz,

2013)

1. Sou realmente crítico e severo com meus próprios erros e defeitos.

2. Quando fico “pra baixo”, não consigo para de pensar em tudo que está errado comigo.
3. Quando as coisas vão mal para mim, vejo as dificuldades como parte da vida e que
acontecem com todo mundo.
4. Quando penso nos meus defeitos, eu me sinto realmente isolado do resto do mundo.
5. Tento ser amável comigo quando me sinto emocionalmente mal.
6. Quando eu falho em algo importante para mim, fico totalmente consumido por sentimentos
de incompetência.
7. Quando me sinto realmente normal, lembro que há outras pessoas no mundo se sentindo
como eu.
8. Quando as coisas estão realmente difíceis, costumo ser duro comigo mesmo.
9. Quando algo me deixa aborrecido, tento buscar equilíbrio emocional.
10. Sou intolerante e impaciente com os aspectos de que não gosto na minha personalidade.
12. Quando estou passando por um momento realmente difícil, eu me dou o apoio e o cuidado
de que preciso.
13. Quando fico “pra baixo”, sinto que a maioria das pessoas é mais feliz do que eu.
14. Quando algo doloroso acontece, tento ver a situação de forma equilibrada.
15. Tento entender meus defeitos como parte da condição humana.
16. Quando vejo características que eu não gosto em mim, sou duro comido mesmo.
17. Quando eu falho em algo importante para mim, tento ver as coisas por outro ângulo.
18. Quando passo por dificuldades emocionais, costumo pensar que as coisas são mais fáceis
para as outras pessoas.
19. Sou bondoso comigo quando estou passando por algum sofrimento.
20. Quando algo me deixa incomodado, sou completamente tomado por sentimentos negativos.
21. Costumo ser um pouco insensível comigo quando estou sofrendo.
22. Quando fico “pra baixo” tento aceitar e entender meus sentimentos.
23. Sou tolerante com meus próprios erros e defeitos.
24. Quando algo doloroso acontece comigo, costumo reagir de forma exagerada.
 43

25. Quando eu falho em algo importante para mim, costumo me sentir muito sozinho nessa
situação.
26. Tento ser compreensivo e paciente com os aspectos da minha personalidade dos quais não
gosto.

Itens por subescala (Neff, 2003)

Bondade: 5, 12, 19, 23, 26
Autocrítica: 1, 8, 11, 16, 21
Senso de humanidade: 3, 7, 10, 15
Isolamento social: 4, 13, 18, 25
Mindfulness: 9, 14, 17, 22
Sobreidentificação: 2, 6, 20, 24

Os escores de cada subescalas são calculadas a partir da média das respostas seguindo a
classificação acima. O escore geral é calculado a partir da soma dos pontos marcados em cada
item, divididos por 26. Os seguintes itens devem ser invertidos para o cálculo do escore geral
da escala: 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 11, 13, 16, 18, 20, 21, 24 e 25.
 44

ANNEX B - MASLACH BURNOUT INVENTORY - STUDENT SURVEY

Maslach Burnout Inventory - Student Survey adaptado por Schaufeli et al., 2002 e traduzido
para o português (BR) por Carlotto e Câmara, 2006.

Exaustão Emocional
1. Sinto-me emocionalmente esgotado(a) pelos meus estudos.
2. Sinto-me esgotado(a) no fim de um dia em que tenho aula.
3. Sinto-me cansado(a) quando me levanto para enfrentar outro dia de aula.
4. Estudar e frequentar as aulas são, para mim, um grande esforço.
5. Sinto-me consumido(a) pelos meus estudos.

Descrença
6. Tenho me tornado menos interessado(a) nos estudos desde que entrei nesta faculdade.
7. Tenho me tornado menos interessado(a) nos meus estudos.
8. Tenho estado mais descrente do meu potencial e da utilidade dos meus estudos.
9. Eu questiono o sentido e a importância de meus estudos.

Eficácia Profissional
10. Posso resolver os problemas que surgem nos meus estudos.
11. Acredito que eu seja eficaz na contribuição das aulas que frequento
12. Considero-me um(a) bom(a) estudante.
13. Sinto-me estimulado(a) quando concluo com êxito a minha meta de estudos.
14. Tenho aprendido muitas coisas interessantes no decorrer dos meus estudos.
15. Durante as aulas, sinto-me confiante: realizo as tarefas de forma eficaz.