THE MEDIATING ROLE OF THOUGHT: RUMINATION AS A MODERATOR BETWEEN SCHOOL BURNOUT AND ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOR AMONG UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS

The study investigated the moderating role of rumination in the relationship between school burnout and antisocial behaviors among undergraduate students at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. It was hypothesized that rumination and school burnout would significantly predict antisocial behavior among undergraduate students, and that rumination would moderate the relationship between school burnout and antisocial behavior. Three hundred and twenty-four (324) undergraduate students at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, participated in this study. The participants were drawn from 9 randomly selected faculties. This was primarily survey research, and a cross-sectional design was adopted. HAYES MACROS PROCESS was used in testing the study’s hypotheses. After data analysis, the results indicated that school burnout and rumination negatively and positively predicted antisocial behavior, respectively, and that rumination moderated the relationship between school burnout and antisocial behavior. These findings underscore the importance of addressing rumination tendencies in interventions to mitigate the impact of school burnout and promote positive behavioral outcomes among undergraduates.