The Relationship between Student Burnout and the development of Aggressive Tendencies

Abstract

Aggression in the student population has become a major issue on college campuses, many times leading to disruptions, loss of resources and lowered campus security. This study looks at the influence that burnout may have on a student's susceptibility to developing direct and indirect aggressive tendencies. It was hypothesized that burned out individuals would be more likely to display aggressive behavior. In order to further explore this observation, a correlational study was conducted using measures that operationalized these variables and allowed for further analysis of their potential relationship. The measures that were used included the Maslach Burnout Inventory, the Aggression Questionnaire, the Indirect Aggression Questionnaire, and a self-constructed Subtle Social Aggression scale. Results indicated a significant linear relationship between Student Burnout and Aggression. From this, one can conclude that Student Burnout may be influencing the development of aggressive behaviors within the student population. These findings bring to light the importance of taking actions towards decreasing student burnout in an effort to prevent and/or decrease aggressive behaviors from occurring.