Time Pressure at Work and at School: The Role of Cognitive Appraisals in Shaping Engagement and Exhaustion
Year: 2026
Type: dissertation
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Time pressure is commonly viewed as both a challenge and a hindrance, yet its consequences may depend on how individuals interpret it and the domain in which it occurs. This study examined domain-specific links between work and school time pressure and work and school engagement and exhaustion, using cognitive appraisals of work and school time pressure as boundary conditions. Data were collected through two surveys administered one week apart, with work and school time pressure and work and school (time pressure) challenge and hindrance appraisals measured at Time 1, and work and school engagement and exhaustion measured at Time 2. The final sample consisted of 186 working university students. Confirmatory factor analyses supported the distinctiveness of work time pressure, school time pressure, and their respective challenge and hindrance appraisals. Regression analyses indicated that (a) time pressure was not associated with engagement in either domain, (b) work time pressure was positively associated with work exhaustion only at high levels of work (time pressure) hindrance appraisal, and (c) school time pressure was positively associated with school exhaustion regardless of the level of school (time pressure) hindrance appraisal. However, these positive associations should be interpreted with caution because supplemental analyses that accounted for potential cross-domain effects showed a decrease in their overall strength. Regression analyses also indicated that across both domains and all model specifications, (time pressure) challenge appraisal was positively associated with engagement, and (time pressure) hindrance appraisal was positively associated with exhaustion. Overall, these findings suggest that the consequences of time pressure are best understood from an appraisal-based perspective. Cognitive appraisals of time pressure provide important insights into why similar time demands may be associated with engagement for some working students and exhaustion for others.
Author: Cerasuolo, Ariana
Institution: Concordia University
Language: English
Topic: Stress and Burnout Research
Subfield: Social Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7221486094