Do not Let Your Primal World Beliefs Burn You Out: An Initial Unravelling of the Role of Primal World Beliefs in Core Burnout Symptoms Experience

Abstract

Despite the increasing research attention devoted to the role of individual psychological factors in the development of burnout in the last decades, little is known about the role of individuals’ beliefs regarding the general character of the world. Based on the emerging line of research dedicated to primal world beliefs, the present study with N=1,237 participants (M = 42.9 years, SD = 11.93) aims to examine the role of primary primal (i.e., seeing the world as a good place) and three secondary primal world beliefs (i.e., seeing the world as safe, enticing, and alive) in the experience of burnout and its core dimensions. The results of CB-SEM showed that primary primal was negatively related to the severity of burnout symptoms, and this relationship was partially mediated via psychological capital (PsyCap). Additionally, the indirect role of PsyCap was also supported when secondary primals and core dimensions of burnout were differentiated. Safe secondary primal negatively predicted exhaustion and both safe and enticing secondary primals negatively predicted mental distancing, cognitive impairment, and emotional impairment. This study provides novel and promising findings and offers a starting point for future research on how general beliefs about the world shape people's experiences in the workplace domain.