Engagement, boredom, and burnout among students: Basic need satisfaction matters more than personality traits

•we examine the incremental value that basic need satisfaction has over personality in explaining engagement, boredom and burnout•certain personality dimensions are related to well-being dimensions•basic needs have an incremental value over personality in explaining well-being teachers may foster a context relevant for satisfying needs•satisfied basic needs fuel optimal functioning and creating social contexts that address such needs may significantly contribute to individual motivation and well-being.

Drawing on the Five Factor Personality Model and Self-Determination Theory, the current study examines the relations between three different kinds of well-being - engagement, boredom, and burnout- and personality, and evaluates whether basic need satisfaction has an incremental contribution over personality in explaining these types of well-being. In a sample of 255 students we found that agreeableness and neuroticism were significantly related to each well-being dimension, whereas conscientiousness was only significantly related to engagement and to boredom, and extraversion being only significantly related to burnout. Need satisfaction significantly contributed to well-being, over and above personality. Results indicate that certain personality factors play a role in well-being, but that the fulfillment of the needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness is of additional importance.