Differential influence of basic psychological needs on burnout and academic achievement in three southeast European countries

Zupančič, Nina (author), Palanović, Antun (author), Ružojčić, Mitja (author), Boštjančič, Eva (author), Popov, Boris (author), Jelić, Dragana (author), Galić, Zvonimir (author)

Several studies show the importance of basic psychological needs (BPN) for decreasing burnout and increasing grade point average (GPA), but, to our knowledge, no prior study has explored the potential contextual differences in Southeastern European countries. Moreover, even less is known about how this relationship may differ during stressful (exam) and less stressful (beginning of the semester) periods. Measures of the Maslach Burnout Inventory—Student Survey and BPN Satisfaction and Frustration Scale were translated and adapted. The study included a cross-sectional sample of students from Croatia, Serbia and Slovenia during beginning of the semester and exam period. Across all countries and both contexts, students with high autonomy need satisfaction showed the strongest decrease in burnout, followed by those with high competence need satisfaction. Students with high academic achievement showed an increase due to competence need satisfaction. Competence and autonomy need satisfaction were higher beginning of a semester, while burnout was higher during the exam period. BPN play an important role in educational settings—satisfaction of the need for autonomy and competence protects students from burnout, and the need for competence predicts greater academic achievement regardless of culture or time of the semester.

• Language: English
• Keywords: psychological needs, burnout, academic achievement, students, Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, culture, basic psychological needs, exam and semester
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: FF - Faculty of Arts
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2024
• Number of pages: Str. 288–302
• Numbering: Vol. 59, no. 2
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-155138
• UDC: 37.015.3-057.875
• ISSN on article: 1464-066X
• DOI: 10.1002/ijop.12938
• COBISS.SI-ID: 164422147
• Publication date in RUL: 21.03.2024

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: International journal of psychology
• Shortened title: Int. j. psychol.
• Publisher: Wiley, International Union of Psychological Science
• ISSN: 1464-066X
• COBISS.SI-ID: 520744985

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: psihološke potrebe, izgorelost, učna uspešnost, študenti, Slovenija, Hrvaška, Srbija