The Predictive and Moderating role of Psychological Flexibility in the Development of Job Burnout

Complete Reference

Ruiz, F. J., & Odriozola-González, P. (2017). The predictive and moderating role of psychological flexibility in the development of job burnout. Universitas Psychologica, 16(4), 1-8. https://doi.org/10.11144/Javeriana.upsy16-4.pmrp

Study Type

Cross-sectional quantitative study with hierarchical regression analysis and moderation analyses.

Background and Objectives

Job burnout syndrome represents a significant occupational health problem affecting workers across diverse organizational contexts. This syndrome is characterized by three primary dimensions: emotional exhaustion, cynicism and detachment from work, and feelings of professional inefficacy. Previous research has demonstrated that exhaustion emerges as a basic stress response stemming from work overload and social conflict, and typically leads workers to adopt avoidant coping strategies, particularly cynicism, which functions as a mechanism to distance oneself from experienced distress. However, these strategies paradoxically exacerbate the situation in the long term, as cynicism typically results in reduced work effort and progressive disengagement. Psychological flexibility, the central construct in the Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) model, has received substantial empirical support as a protective factor across a wide range of work-related variables. However, specific research on psychological flexibility's role as a protective factor against burnout syndrome development has been limited. Psychological flexibility is defined as the capacity to remain present and aware of private experiences (thoughts, feelings, physiological sensations, memories) while remaining committed to personally meaningful goals. Given the contextually controlled nature of psychological flexibility, recent studies have emphasized the importance of evaluating not only general psychological flexibility but also contextualized measures, such as work-related psychological flexibility.

Objectives and Hypotheses

The present study examined two primary hypotheses. First, it was proposed that both general psychological flexibility and work-related psychological flexibility would explain additional variance in burnout symptoms beyond the variance explained by demographic variables, work factors, and other work-related psychological constructs (work engagement, job satisfaction, psychological empowerment). Second, it was hypothesized that work-related psychological flexibility would moderate the relationship between exhaustion and cynicism, such that the relationship would be stronger in participants with low levels of work-related psychological flexibility, whereas in participants with high levels, the relationship would be weaker, reflecting reduced likelihood of resorting to avoidant coping strategies in response to exhaustion.

Methodology

Participants

The study included 209 employees from southern Spain with ages ranging from 18 to 60 years (M = 36.1, SD = 12.13). The sample was approximately balanced regarding gender, with 52% male (N = 109) and 48% female (N = 100). Regarding educational level, 23.4% completed primary education, 48.8% graduated from mid-level studies, and 27.8% completed or were pursuing higher education. Mean tenure in current position was 7.94 years (SD = 9.68), working an average of 35.5 hours per week (SD = 10.82). Schedule variability was notable: 29.6% worked daytime with lunch break, 20.2% on intensive schedule, 14.8% with flexible hours, 12.3% part-time, 10.3% fixed shift, and 12.8% rotating shift. Regarding employment status, 16.7% were in irregular situations or uncompensated, 16.3% were temporary workers, 25.1% had contracts between 6 months and 5 years, and 41.9% held indefinite contracts. In organizational hierarchy, 79% were line-level workers, 5.9% supervisors, 7.3% middle management, 4.4% managers, and 2.4% corporate managers.

Measurement Instruments

Five standardized instruments were administered to assess constructs of interest. The Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II (AAQ-II) is a 7-item Likert-type scale with 7 points (1 = never true, 7 = always true) measuring general psychological flexibility. In this study, scoring was inverted so higher scores indicated greater psychological flexibility, yielding an alpha coefficient of 0.89. The Work-related Acceptance and Action Questionnaire (WAAQ) is a 7-item, 7-point Likert scale measuring psychological flexibility specific to work context, demonstrating an alpha coefficient of 0.92 in this study. The Maslach Burnout Inventory-General Survey (MBI-GS) comprises 16 items on a 7-point Likert scale (0 = never, 6 = every day) and includes three factors: Exhaustion, Cynicism, and Professional Efficacy, with alpha coefficients of 0.88, 0.80, and 0.84 respectively. The Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES) comprises 15 items on a 7-point Likert scale measuring work engagement through three dimensions (Vigor, Dedication, Absorption), with an alpha coefficient of 0.93. Finally, the Overall Job Satisfaction Scale (OJS), a 15-item, 7-point Likert format scale (1 = very unsatisfied, 7 = very satisfied) assessing global job satisfaction (alpha = 0.91), and the Psychological Empowerment Inventory (PEI), a 12-item scale measuring psychological empowerment through four dimensions (Meaning, Competence, Self-determination, Impact), with alpha coefficients ranging from 0.78 to 0.88, were employed.

Procedure and Data Analysis

Participants were recruited from undergraduate labor science students and personal contacts. The only inclusion criterion was current employment in some company. After providing informed consent, participants completed a questionnaire packet administered in the order described. Three hierarchical regression analyses were conducted to assess associations between demographic variables, work factors, and psychological constructs with each burnout facet. Step 1 included demographic variables (age, gender, educational level), work variables (tenure, schedule, weekly hours, employment status, hierarchy), and psychological constructs (job satisfaction, work engagement, empowerment). Step 2 added general psychological flexibility and work-related psychological flexibility. For the second hypothesis, moderation analysis was conducted using the PROCESS computational tool (Hayes, 2013), with moderator effects deemed significant if 95% confidence intervals did not include zero.

Results

Test of First Hypothesis

Hierarchical regression analyses revealed differential findings according to burnout facet evaluated. For emotional exhaustion, the Step 1 model explained 29% of variance. In Step 2, general psychological flexibility emerged as a significant negative predictor of exhaustion (β = -0.35), adding 10% additional variance. For cynicism, the Step 1 model explained 34% of variance. In Step 2, general psychological flexibility was again a significant negative predictor (β = -0.16), resulting in a model explaining 37% of total variance. Regarding professional efficacy, the Step 1 model explained 33% of variance. In Step 2, work-related psychological flexibility emerged as a significant positive predictor (β = 0.44), adding 15% additional variance. These results underscore the importance of evaluating both general and contextualized measures of psychological flexibility, given their specific and differentiated contributions to distinct burnout syndrome dimensions.

Test of Second Hypothesis

Moderation analysis confirmed the second hypothesis. The relationship between exhaustion and cynicism was considerably stronger in participants with low levels of work-related psychological flexibility compared to those with high levels (interaction coefficient: Exhaustion × Work-related Psychological Flexibility = -0.016, p = 0.007). Specifically, at 10th percentile on the WAAQ scale, the effect of exhaustion on cynicism was 0.672. This effect decreased progressively as WAAQ scores increased, reaching an effect of 0.327 at the 90th percentile. This pattern illustrates how work-related psychological flexibility functions as a protective factor reducing the likelihood that workers resort to avoidant coping strategies (cynicism) in response to experienced exhaustion. In workers with high work-related psychological flexibility, the transition from exhaustion to cynicism is less pronounced, suggesting greater capacity to maintain focus on work tasks and values despite stress experience.

Discussion

Study findings offer support for conceptualizing psychological flexibility as a crucial protective factor in burnout syndrome development. The finding that general psychological flexibility predicted both exhaustion and cynicism, while work-related psychological flexibility was particularly relevant for professional efficacy and showed moderating effects on the exhaustion-cynicism relationship, supports the theoretical argument that psychological flexibility is contextually controlled. Results imply that interventions targeting psychological flexibility increases, particularly ACT protocols adapted to work contexts, could be effective strategies for burnout syndrome prevention.

Limitations

The study presents important methodological limitations. The cross-sectional design precludes establishing causal relationships. Exclusive reliance on self-report measures may result in artificially inflated correlations. The sample was insufficient to explore whether psychological flexibility relevance varies according to specific job types.

Significance and Contribution

This study contributes significantly to occupational health literature by demonstrating that both general and context-specific psychological flexibility play differentiated roles in burnout syndrome prevention. The moderation analysis reveals specific mechanisms through which psychological flexibility attenuates the progression from exhaustion to cynicism, underscoring the importance of interventions directed at increasing workers' capacity to respond flexibly to occupational stressors.

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