Year: 2026 | Month: March | Volume: 13 | Issue: 3 | Pages: 459-467
DOI: https://doi.org/10.52403/ijrr.20260352
The Role of Perfectionism and Self-Criticism in Predicting Burnout Among Students
Naimisha Majji1, Nila Sunil1, Dr. Hunny Kalra2
1M.Sc. Psychology Student, Department of Psychology and Allied Sciences, JAIN (Deemed-to-be University), Bengaluru, (Karnataka) India
2Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology and Allied Sciences, JAIN (Deemed-to-be University), Bengaluru, (Karnataka) India
Corresponding Author: Naimisha Majji
ABSTRACT
Background: Perfectionism is associated with excessive self-evaluation, emotional exhaustion, and heightened pressure to meet unrealistic standards. The Perfectionism-Burnout Model (Hill & Curran, 2016) suggests that perfectionistic concerns are strongly linked to burnout. While research has explored perfectionism and burnout independently, the role of self-criticism within this framework remains underexplored.
Aim: This study examines the relationship between perfectionism, self-criticism, and burnout among college students.
Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 104 students, who completed three standardized self-report measures: Big Three Perfectionism Scale to assess perfectionism, Shirom-Melamed Burnout Inventory to measure burnout, and Forms of Self-Criticizing/Attacking and Self-Reassuring Scale to evaluate self-criticism. Descriptive statistics, Pearson’s product moment correlation and multiple regression analysis was used for data analysis.
Results: The mean scores were 57.64 for burnout, 47.76 for perfectionism, and 46.37 for self-criticism, with standard deviations of 18.048, 9.886, and 9.831 respectively. Burnout showed positive correlations with perfectionism (r = 0.371) and self-criticism (r = 0.478), while perfectionism and self-criticism were also correlated (r = 0.397), indicating that higher perfectionism and self-criticism are associated with greater burnout. Multiple regression analysis showed that perfectionism and self-criticism together explained 26.7% of the variance in burnout, with self-criticism (β = 0.392) and perfectionism (β = 0.215) as significant predictors (p < .001).
Conclusion: The findings support the hypothesis that perfectionism and self-criticism significantly contribute to burnout. These results highlight the importance of interventions focused on reducing self-criticism and managing perfectionistic tendencies to mitigate burnout risks.
Keywords: Perfectionism, self-criticism, burnout, students, perfectionism-burnout model
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