Emotion regulation and academic underperformance: The role of school burnout

How students regulate emotions and the effects of emotion regulation (ER) on academic outcomes is gaining attention in educational psychology research. However, little is known about factors that explain their relationship and inform intervention. Two studies therefore examined the role of school burnout in explaining the relationship between ER strategies (reappraisal, suppression) and academic outcomes (GPA, absenteeism) among undergraduate students. Study 1 (N = 550) investigated ER strategies as antecedents to the effects of school burnout on academic outcomes. Significant indirect effects emerged to show that school burnout mediated the relationships between ER and GPA and absenteeism. Study 2 (N = 509) examined the temporal relationship between ER strategies, school burnout, GPA and absenteeism at two time points. Findings indicated that ER strategies preceded the effects of school burnout. School burnout, in turn, was identified as the mechanism linking (mediating) ER strategies to academic outcomes. Limitations, clinical applications, and future directions are outlined.