Multitasking Preferences, Music Preferences, and Burnout Among MS and Mphil Scholars

Abstract

The goal of this research is to investigate the relationship between Multitasking Preferences, and Burnout among MS and MPhil scholars. It further explores Music Preferences, (intense and rebellious, reflective and complex, energetic and rhythmic, and upbeat and conventional) as mediator, effecting the relation between multitasking preferences and burnout among scholars of MS and MPhil. For this purpose, the current research employed cross-sectional method and was divided into three main phases. Phase I was employed in order to translate and at the same time, adapt the Burnout Assessment Tool from its source language, English, into indigenous language, Urdu. A total sample (N=260; Mean age = 24.88, SD = 2.35) MS and MPhil scholars participated in this study among which there were male students (n=84) and female students (n=176). Convenient sampling was used for collecting data from participants. Three measures used in this study included Multitasking Preference Inventory (Kalsoom & Kamal, 2018), Burnout Assessment Tool, BAT (Schaufeli et al., 2020) and Short Test of Music Preferences (Faran & Malik, 2021). Phase II comprised of establishing psychometric properties for Burnout Assessment Tool through Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA). Composit reliability for the scale was found to be .90 and average variance extracted was .60. Factor loadings indicating good construct validity for the scale as they were above the minimal value of .60. Phase III of the present research was designed to test hypotheses. The findings of phase III show that there exists a significant negative correlation between multitasking preferences and burnout. It is inferred that student scholars having higher preference for multitasking will experience less burnout in comparison with those having low preference for multitasking. Furthermore, it was found that music preferences (intense and rebellious music) acts as a x mediator, enhancing the effect of negative relationship between multitasking preferences (multitasking preferences subscale) and burnout. The results further revealed that multitasking preferences and subscale (multitasking preferences) has a significan and positive correlation with intense and rebellious music, while monotasking is significantly but negatively correlated with intense, and rebellious music preference. Monotasking preference was further revealed to have a significant negative correlation with reflective, and complex music, and energetic, and rhythmic music preference. Male students were found to have significantly higher preference for multitasking than female students while female students reported higher levels of burnout. Multitasking Preferences and burnout were found to increase with age among the current sample. Intense and rebellious music was having significant negative relationship with burnout and its sub-constructs (exhaustion, cognitive impairment, mental distancing, psychological distress, and emotional impairment). Male students were found to have significantly high preference for reflective, and complex music while female students reported high inclination towards upbeat, and conventional music. The present research has implications for students and academic institution to become more aware of research related burnout and how the preference for multitasking and certain type of music effects this burnout.