Validity Evidence for the Internal Structure of the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Student Survey: A Comparison between Classical CFA Model and the ESEM and the Bifactor Models

Raimundo Aguayo-Estremera, Gustavo R. Cañadas (), Elena Ortega-Campos, Tania Ariza and Emilia Inmaculada De la Fuente-Solana
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Raimundo Aguayo-Estremera: Departamento de Psicobiología y Metodología de las Ciencias del Comportamiento, Facultad de Psicología, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Campus de Somosaguas, Ctra. De Húmera, s/n, Pozuelo de Alarcón, 28223 Madrid, Spain
Gustavo R. Cañadas: Department of Didactic of Mathematics, Faculty of Education Science, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain
Elena Ortega-Campos: CEINSA-UAL, Universidad de Almería, Carretera de Sacramento s/n, La Cañada de San Urbano, 04120 Almería, Spain
Tania Ariza: Department of Educational Psychology and Psychobiology, Faculty of Education, Universidad Internacional de la Rioja, Av. De la Paz, 137, 26006 Logroño, Spain
Emilia Inmaculada De la Fuente-Solana: Brain, Mind and Behaviour Research Center (CIMCYC), University of Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain

Mathematics, 2023, vol. 11, issue 6, 1-21

Abstract: Academic burnout is a psychological problem characterized by three dimensions: emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal accomplishment. This paper studies the internal structure of the MBI-SS, the most widely used instrument to assess burnout in students. The bifactor model and the ESEM approach have been proposed as alternatives, capable of overcoming the classical techniques of CFA to address this issue. Our study considers the internal structure of the MBI-SS by testing the models most frequently referenced in the literature, along with the bifactor model and the ESEM. After determining which model best fits the data, we calculate the most appropriate reliability index. In addition, we examined the validity evidence using other variables, namely the concurrent relationships with depression, anxiety, neuroticism, and conscientiousness, and the discriminant relationships with the dimensions of engagement, extraversion, and agreeableness. The results obtained indicate that the internal structure of the MBI-SS is well reflected by the three-factor congeneric oblique model, reaching good values of reliability and convergent and discriminant validity. Therefore, when the scale is used in applied contexts, we recommend considering the total scores obtained for each of the dimensions. Finally, we recommend using the omega coefficient and not the alpha coefficient as an estimator of reliability.

Keywords: academic burnout syndrome; MBI-SS; internal structure; reliability and validity; ESSEM and bifactor model (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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