The effects of autonomy support versus psychological control and work engagement versus academic burnout on adolescents’ use of avoidance strategies

Abstract

This study examines the relationships among Taiwanese ninth graders’ perceptions of autonomy support versus psychological control in the classroom context, work engagement versus academic burnout, and their avoidance of help seeking as well as self-handicapping behaviors. Four hundred and thirty-five ninth-grade Taiwanese students completed a self-reported survey assessing these variables. Results of hierarchical regressions indicated that in terms of environmental predictors, teachers’ autonomy support negatively predicted both help avoidance and self-handicapping, whereas teachers’ psychological control positively predicted self-handicapping only. As for the predicting effects of individual factors, students’ dedication negatively predicted both avoidance of help seeking and self-handicapping. By contrast, the lack of efficacy positively predicted help avoidance, whereas cynicism positively predicted self-handicapping. Further, results of MANCOVA revealed that even after controlling for the effects of teachers’ autonomy support and psychological control, burnout students were significantly more likely to avoid seeking academic help and self-handicap than were engaged students.