PhD, Associate Professor E.L. Pozharskaya¹
PhD, Associate Professor E.V. Kamneva²
Dr.Sc.Phil., Professor E.V. Mochalov³
PhD, Associate Professor M.A. Eldin^3
1Plekhanov Russian University of Economics, Moscow
²Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation, Moscow
³N.P. Ogarev Mordovia State University, Saransk

Keywords: emotional burnout syndrome, psychophysical health, depersonalization, emotional stress, stress intensity, frustration.

Background. Research interest in the burnout syndrome is explained by the growing numbers of education specialists exposed to physical and emotional fatigue detrimental for their labour effectiveness. In modern research literature, emotional burnout syndrome is referred to as the general definition of a long job-related stress which, when uncontrolled, may result in a professional crisis [2]. Some researchers hold to the opinion that the emotional burnout syndrome is still under-diagnosed and underexplored and, hence, the relevant preventive initiatives are still inefficient in fact (A.L. Gerashenko et al., 2015). It should be confessed that the modern science has failed to offer efficient methods to control the syndrome. The national science has only recently acknowledged and started to apply “professional burnout” as a notion albeit this phenomenon has been subject to special interest and studies for at least two decades by foreign researchers. The syndrome is generally detected as physical and mental exhaustion as a result of intensive interpersonal job-related contacts associated with highly intensive emotions and cognitive difficulties [4]. The fatigue may also be due to the fact that an education specialist has to mobilise not only his/her professional knowledge, skills and abilities but also the individual psychophysical and personality resources acting as a sort of emotional donor for the audience.

Objective of the study was to diagnose the emotional burnout syndrome in educators and analyse the evoking factors (including the ones related to physical activity) for this health condition.

Methods and structure of the study. We applied two sets of tests in the study, one including the subjective scales (emotional and physical fatigue exposure scale; plus job satisfaction scale); and other including reference tests to rate the individual resistance/ predisposition to emotional burnouts. The first set of tests was designed and offered by N.A. Aminov, with the subjects being offered to rate, using a 9-point scale, first their emotional and physical job-related fatigue; and, second, their job satisfaction, by checking the relevant boxes. We also applied in the first set of tests an adapted version of the Goldberg’s Transparent Bipolar Inventory (TBI, 1992) to measure the Big-Five personality traits including: emotional balance/ neuroticism; introversion/ extraversion; openness/ closeness to new experience; antagonism/ agreeableness; and conscientiousness/ absent-mindedness. Having analysed the available study data, Goldberg assumed that any individual personality traits structuring model should apply the Big-Five traits, with the word “Big” implying that each of the proposed global factors includes a number of correlated and more specific primary factors. Each factor in the case includes five traits or aspects.

The second set of tests includes the most advanced individual trait measuring tools in the context of the individual exposure to emotional burnout. It was V.V. Boyko, national pioneer in studies of this health condition, who developed the emotional burnout test method with the method giving a detailed profile of the individual exposure to the emotional burnout syndrome. One more burnout inventory method was developed by American psychologists C. Maslach and S. Jackson to rate burnout in the human-human type of professions; their inventory was adapted by N.E. Vodopyanova. The inventory offers 22 questions and three rating scales: emotional exhaustion (9 statements); depersonalization (5 statements); and reduction of personal accomplishments (8 statements). In addition, the Cattel’s 16 Personality Factor Questionnaire was applied, particularly its C-factor to rate emotional balance/ imbalance; and Q4 factor to rate relaxation/ tension. The Cattel’s 16 Personality Factor Questionnaire was designed to rate the personality qualities referred to as the constitutional factors by the author.

The study was performed at Plekhanov Russian University of Economics and Moscow Industrial and Economic College. Subject to the study were 28 educators of 23-46 years of age.

Study results and discussion. The study data were applied to produce the following inter-correlation matrix: see Table 1 hereunder.

Table 1. Inter-correlation matrix

Note: р<0.05, r=0.381;  р<0.02, r=0.445; р<0.01, r=0.487

The study data showed that higher extraversion rate promotes higher individual satisfaction with the job; exposure to emotional and physical fatigue: and individual resistance to emotional burnout. At the same time the extraversion rate showed little or no correlation with the emotional burnout rate. The friendlier is the individual, the higher is his/her satisfaction with the job, the higher is the exposure to emotional and physical fatigue and the higher is the individual resistance to the emotional burnout. The extraversion rate showed little or no correlation with the emotional burnout rate.

The higher is the conscientiousness rate the higher is the individual satisfaction with the job; exposure to emotional and physical fatigue: and the individual resistance to emotional burnout. The conscientiousness rate showed little or no correlation with the emotional burnout rate. The higher is the neuroticism rate the higher is the individual satisfaction with the job, the higher is the exposure to emotional and physical fatigue and the higher is the individual resistance to emotional burnout. The neuroticism rate showed little or no correlation with the emotional burnout rate.

Higher openness to new experience rate results in higher individual satisfaction with the job; exposure to emotional and physical fatigue: and the individual resistance to emotional burnout. The openness to new experience rate showed little or no correlation with the emotional burnout rate. We did not find any correlation between the emotional burnout rate and the job satisfaction rate, exposure to emotional and physical fatigue and the individual resistance to emotional burnout. The subject rate shows a high correlation with the emotional burnout rate. We found no correlation between the job satisfaction rate and exposure to emotional and physical fatigue. The higher is the exposure to the emotional and physical fatigue the higher is the job satisfaction rate. These factors were found correlated with one another and, hence, the following conclusion may be made: the individuals highly exposed to emotional and physical fatigue and tested with extreme individual mental traits (emotional balance/ neuroticism; introversion/ extraversion; openness/ closeness to new experience; antagonism/ agreeableness; and conscientiousness/ absent-mindedness) are generally more exposed to the emotional burnout syndrome.

Conclusion. The study data and analyses gave us the grounds to conclude that individual predispositions to emotional burnouts are largely determined by individual mental factors and a variety of conditions, including job-specific ones. Further studies of the emotional burnout syndrome may be beneficial for the educators’ psychophysical health protection and early burnout diagnostics and prevention initiatives.

References

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Corresponding author: andryushenko-lil@mail.ru

Abstract

The study gives data on the educators’ individual tolerance/ predisposition to the emotional burnout syndrome largely determined by the individual mental factors and job-specific conditions. The study was performed at Plekhanov Russian University of Economics and Moscow Industrial and Economic College. Subject to the study were 28 educators of 23-46 years of age. The study applied two sets of tests, one including subjective scales (emotional and physical fatigue exposure scale; plus job satisfaction scale); and another including reference tests to rate the individual tolerance/ predisposition to emotional burnouts.

The study data and analyses gave us the grounds to conclude that the individual predispositions to emotional burnouts are largely determined by the individual mental factors and a variety of conditions, including job-specific ones. Further studies of the emotional burnout syndrome may be beneficial for the educators’ psychophysical health protection and early burnout diagnostics and prevention initiatives.