Profiles of doctoral students’ self-determination: susceptibilities to burnout and dissent

Abstract

Using a person-centered approach and guided by four mini-theories within self-determination theory, we investigated students’ motivation for pursuing their doctorate. Specifically, we examined students’ (N = 205) intrinsic and extrinsic motivation to persevere in their doctoral studies to ascertain if differences in the quality of their motivation would influence burnout symptoms and, in turn, tendencies to enact instructional dissent in their doctoral program. Results of a latent profile analysis indicated the presence of three profiles characterized by distinct combinations of autonomous and controlled forms of motivation. Doctoral students who indicated satisfaction with their autonomy and competence needs were more likely to be categorized into a highly motivated profile characterized by high autonomous motivation and moderate controlled motivation. Tests of mediation from latent motivation profiles on (a) expressive dissent through exhaustion, (b) vengeful dissent through cynicism, and (c) rhetorical dissent through professional efficacy revealed that highly motivated doctoral students were less susceptible to burnout symptoms and, subsequently, engaged in less expressive and vengeful dissent but greater rhetorical dissent.