In search of the "Third dimension" of burnout: Efficacy or inefficacy?

This article contributes to the ongoing debate about whether or not lack of efficacy constitutes the "third dimension" of burnout. This debate is obscured by the fact that lack of efficacy is measured by positively framed efficacy items that are reversed in order to be indicative of burnout. Instead, this study includes an inefficacy scale that consists of negatively worded items that are not reversed. In two samples of university students from Spain (n = 193) and The Netherlands (n = 235), the factor structure of the traditional Maslach Burnout Inventory-Student Survey (MBI-SS), that includes an "efficacy" scale, is assessed and compared with that of academic burnout that includes an "inefficacy" scale instead. Confirmatory factor analyses in both samples showed a slightly better fit of the latter. Furthermore, results were remarkably similar across samples, which illustrates the robustness of our findings. It is concluded that in future research, instead of efficacy, an inefficacy scale should be used to assess burnout.