JKAOH Journal of Korean Academy of Oral Health J Korean Acad Oral Health 1225-388X 2093-7784 Journal of Korean Academy of Oral Health 10.11149/jkaoh.2015.39.4.295 jkaoh-39-295 Original Article The mediating effects of test anxiety on the relationship between socially-prescribed perfectionism and academic burnout of female college students in a dental hygiene department ChaeMin-Seong Department of Education, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, Korea Corresponding Author: Min-Seong Chae Department of Education, Chonnam National University, Young-bongro 77, Gwangju 61186, Korea Tel: +82-62-530-5834 Fax: +82-62-225-9618 E-mail: chrischae09@naver.com 122015 12122015 39 4 295 302 08102015 28102015 29102015 Copyright © 2015 Journal of Korean Academy of Oral Health 2015 This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Abstract Objectives

The purpose of this study was to uncover the mediating effects of test anxiety on the relationship between socially prescribed perfectionism and academic burnout in enrolled in a dental hygiene department.

 Methods

This study administered a survey consisting of the Socially Prescribed Perfectionism Scale, the Revised Test Anxiety Scale, and the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Student Survey to 310 female college students in the dental hygiene department at G City. The data were analyzed with correlation analysis using SPSS 21.0 and AMOS 20.0. partial mediating effects of test anxiety between socially prescribed perfectionism and academic burnout.

 Results

The results suggest that the higher the levels of socially prescribed perfectionism, the greater the increase in academic burnout. In addition, socially prescribed perfectionism increases test anxiety when academic burnout is high. The analysis of mediating effects in the indirect path of the model revealed that adaptive socially prescribed perfectionism had a negative effect on academic burnout by increasing test anxiety. These findings and their implications were discussed.

 Conclusions

In order to reduce socially imposed perfectionism, it is necessary to reduce growing academic burnout, and test the value and success criteria of this model. There remains however, the fact that there is a need to focus on career goals and criteria that need to be met in order to be successful. By lowering test anxiety, psychological stability is improved and in turn, a stable college life enables dental hygiene students to more freely access psychological support. Therefore, a proactive attitude toward education is vital in preventing test anxiety and socially prescribed perfectionism.

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Research model.

Competing model.

Standardized path coefficients result of research model.

General characteristic of the subject

Variables Frequency
Grade 2nd grade 159 (51.3%)
3rd grade 151 (48.7%)
Gender Female 310 (100%)

Description of study variables

Variables Frequency Mean SD Skewness Kurtosis
Socially prescribed perfectionism Socially prescribed perfectionism 310 57.80 7.955 ―.165 1.312
Socially prescribed perfectionism1 310 19.90 2.836 .149 1.240
Socially prescribed perfectionism2 310 17.81 3.523 ―.853 1.403
Socially prescribed perfectionism3 310 20.10 3.639 ―.130 2.182
Test anxiety Test anxiety 310 40.84 12.428 .657 ―.263
Nervous 310 11.30 3.499 .465 ―.237
Worry 310 13.07 4.045 .477 ―.377
Physical symptoms 310 8.69 3.583 .741 ―.522
Academic burnout Academic burnout 310 59.48 12.673 ―.206 .297
Emotional exhaustion 310 20.77 6.156 ―.070 ―.269
Cynicism 310 15.63 5.284 ―.064 ―.381
Reduce efficacy 310 23.08 4.824 ―.330 1.256

Correlation among socially prescribed perfectionism, test anxiety and academic burnout

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Socially prescribed perfectionism 1
Socially prescribed perfectionism1 .757** 1
Socially prescribed perfectionism2 .795** .411** 1
Socially prescribed perfectionism3 .827** .478** .449** 1
Test anxiety .351** .306** .305** .233** 1
Nervous .362** .327** .286** .260** .917** 1
Worry .352** .317** .290** .241** .926** .854** 1
Physical symptoms .283** .247** .273** .162* .890** .755** .732** 1
Academic burnout .368** .220** .416** .230** .518** .432** .492** .435** 1
Emotional exhaustion .396** .298** .364** .282** .561** .511** .511** .469** .856** 1
Cynicism .342** .261** .323** .232** .535** .450** .495** .449** .873** .729** 1
Reduce efficacy .085 -.089 .274** -.009 .058 -.009 .047 .054 .578** .176** .268** 1

1. Socially-prescribed perfectionism, 2. Socially-prescribed perfectionism1, 3. Socially-prescribed perfectionism2, 4. Socially-prescribed perfectionism 5. Test anxiety, 6. Nervous, 7. Worry, 8. Physical symptoms, 9. Academic burnout, 10. Emotional exhaustion, 11. Cynicism, 12. Reduce efficacy. *P<.05, **P<.01.

Fit index of measurement model

Fit index χ2 df P TLI CFI RMSEA (CI*)
Measurement 76.557 24 .000 .941 .960 .084 (.063-.106)
Model

CI: Confidence Interval.

Load factor analysis of measurement model

Potential Variables Measured Variables B SE β t
Socially prescribed perfectionism Socially prescribed perfectionism1 .772 .094 .669 8.239†
Socially prescribed perfectionism2 .948 .116 .661 8.205†
Socially prescribed perfectionism3 1 .675
Test anxiety Nervous 1 .927
Worry 1.148 .045 .921 25.313†
Physical symptoms .890 .046 .806 19.511†
Academic burnout Emotional exhaustion 1 .891
Cynicism .791 .058 .821 13.536†
Reduce efficacy .196 .053 .223 3.693†

P<.001.

Fit index result of research model and competing model

Model χ2 df TLI CFI RMSEA (CI*)
Research model 76.557 24 .941 .960 .084(.063-.106)
Competing model χ2 Varification difference 92.649 25 .927 .949 .094(.074−.114) Δχ2=16.092

CI: Confidence Interval.

Path coefficients and significance test of final model

Parameter B S.E β t
Socially prescribed perfectionism → Test anxiety .606 .100 .458 6.086†
Test anxiety burnout → Academic .854 .107 .505 7.965
Socially prescribed perfectionism → Academic burnout .632 .163 .283 3.875

P<.001.

The bootstrapping results of the indirect effects of the tes anxiety in the relationship of socially prescribed perfectionism and academic burnout

Path Measurements S.E 95% CI* (Bias-corrected bootstrap)
Lower Upper
Socially pre-prescribed per-fectionism Test anxiety → Academic burnout .232 .039 .163 .320

CI: Confidence Interval.