Professional identity refers to a psychological process in which individuals, drawing upon their understanding of their academic discipline, develop emotional attachment and value resonance toward it, which is reflected behaviorally through active engagement and continuous learning (Qin, 2009). As a core component of self-identity, professional identity plays a critical role in shaping students’ attitudes and behaviors toward learning (Reid et al., 2008). Existing research indicates that students with a stronger level of professional identity tend to demonstrate more positive learning attitudes, stronger self-directed learning abilities, and greater engagement in academic activities (Liao et al., 2024). Such adaptive learning states stem from students’ deep understanding of the meaning, value, and future prospects associated with their major, which in turn enhances their learning motivation and overall learning experience (Martela et al., 2021).

Self-determination theory provides a foundational lens for understanding how professional identity shapes students’ learning experiences (Ryan and Deci, 2000). The theory posits that students’ learning motivation depends on the extent to which three basic psychological needs—autonomy, competence, and relatedness—are fulfilled (Ryan and Deci, 2000). When students develop a strong sense of identification with their major, they are more likely to perceive learning as a self-endorsed choice (autonomy), believe that they are capable of mastering academic tasks (competence), and feel connected to their professional community (relatedness). The satisfaction of these needs fosters stable intrinsic motivation, promotes sustained engagement, and reduces emotional exhaustion driven by external pressures. Conversely, when students lack professional identity, they are more prone to experiencing amotivation, diminished meaning, and other negative psychological states, thereby increasing their risk of learning burnout.

Previous research has demonstrated that a high level of professional identity can significantly influence students’ cognitive patterns, emotional experiences, and learning behaviors (Chen et al., 2025). When college students have a strong sense of professional identity, they are inclined to evaluate their abilities more positively, enhance their self-efficacy and learning motivation, and thereby buffer the adverse effects of academic pressure (Zou et al., 2024). Empirical evidence further indicates that students with stronger professional identity demonstrate greater academic engagement, better learning efficacy, more positive emotional experiences, and significantly lower levels of learning burnout (Chen et al., 2025; Zou et al., 2024).

These findings highlight the pivotal role played by professional identity in alleviating learning burnout by reinforcing learning motivation and facilitating positive emotional experiences.

Emptiness is a negative psychological experience stemming from a deficit in personal meaning and value; it manifests as inner hollowness, aimlessness, and emotional indifference and is often accompanied by maladaptive behaviors and psychological distress (Liang, 2013). As an internalized form of psychopathology, emptiness has been shown to impair individuals’ appetite and attentional quality and to diminish their interest in previously preferred activities (Castro et al., 2018). It may also be accompanied by self-directed harmful behaviors and, in more severe cases, can lead to social dysfunction, depression, and other critical mental health problems (Miller et al., 2018; Castro et al., 2018; Harford et al., 2019). Among university students, emptiness is a persistent negative emotional experience that can trigger various adverse emotions and maladaptive behaviors, thereby undermining their adjustment to campus life (Tarrant et al., 2006). Conversely, difficulties in academic and social adjustment may further induce feelings of helplessness, alienation, and diminished self-worth, reinforcing the experience of emptiness (Liang, 2013). Previous studies have primarily regarded emptiness as a concomitant symptom of emotional problems such as depression and anxiety (Hang et al., 2025), with limited exploration of its role in academic psychological processes.

From an existentialist perspective, ambiguous life goals and a lack of personal meaning constitute the core psychological foundations of emptiness (Çevik et al., 2020; Cho and Jang, 2021). When students’ academic majors align well with their personal interests and expectations, a strong professional identity motivates them to actively explore disciplinary knowledge and engage in practical activities, allowing them to experience learning as meaningful and fulfilling (Messerer et al., 2024; Lu et al., 2025). Conversely, students with low professional identity often lack goal orientation and emotional connection, leading to confusion and helplessness in the learning process, which perpetuates persistent feelings of emptiness (Wu et al., 2024; Zou et al., 2024).

Furthermore, self-determination theory posits that human behavior is driven by intrinsic motivation, extrinsic motivation, and amotivation (Ryan and Deci, 2000). When individuals act on intrinsic motivation—behaviors aligned with their own interests and values—they experience greater satisfaction and autonomy, which in turn reduces depressive states such as emptiness (Liang, 2013). Within this theoretical framework, professional identity is conceptualized as an important form of intrinsic motivation in university students’ learning and development (Tarrant et al., 2006). A higher level of professional identity reflects students’ positive emotional acceptance, value endorsement, and goal alignment with their chosen major, making them more likely to perceive learning as an activity coherent with the self. Such identification not only sustains long-term learning interest but also enhances students’ sense of autonomy and competence—that is, the belief that they can effectively master relevant knowledge and skills. When these basic psychological needs are fulfilled, students experience strengthened intrinsic motivation, thereby forming a positive cycle of learning engagement and emotional well-being. Consequently, higher professional identity promotes greater learning interest, autonomy, and competence, which helps reduce the emergence of emptiness and related negative emotions.

Moreover, chronic emptiness can deplete individuals’ psychological resources and self-regulatory capacity. This often leads to compensatory behaviors, including internet addiction and excessive smartphone use, which serve as maladaptive strategies for regaining emotional balance and ultimately exacerbate learning burnout (Frankl, 1984; Gu et al., 2023; Yang et al., 2024; Ye et al., 2025). Research on adolescent internet addiction has shown a positive correlation between the level of internet addiction and learning burnout (Wang et al., 2007). Studies examining the relationship between university students’ sense of emptiness and smartphone dependence have similarly reported a positive association (Gao et al., 2020). As a maladaptive compensatory behavior, excessive smartphone use can exacerbate negative emotions, reduce academic self-efficacy, and deplete cognitive resources when students encounter learning difficulties, thereby increasing the likelihood of learning burnout (Wang et al., 2025). These findings suggest that maladaptive compensatory behaviors arising from emptiness are directly or indirectly linked to learning burnout. Taken together, students with low professional identity are less emotionally engaged with their major and more likely to experience confusion and a lack of meaning in learning, which can lead to emptiness, and the maladaptive behaviors associated with emptiness may ultimately trigger learning burnout. On the basis of this rationale, the following hypotheses are proposed:

Career calling refers to an individual’s sense of enthusiasm, identification, and responsibility toward the meaning and value of his or her future profession. It represents a stable and intrinsically motivated orientation toward one’s career (Duffy and Dik, 2013). A defining characteristic of individuals with a strong sense of calling is their action orientation; they are motivated to actively engage in activities that align with their calling (Elangovan et al., 2010). When individuals hold a calling toward a particular profession, they tend to highly value and perceive significance in that career, which drives them to devote substantial effort to related professional activities (Dobrow and Tosti-Kharas, 2011; Hirschi, 2012; Serow, 1994). The university period represents a critical stage of career preparation, and students with a strong sense of career calling are likely to actively participate in professional development activities aimed at acquiring the skills necessary to fulfill their calling. Furthermore, research among university students has indicated that those with strong career calling often demonstrate greater purpose, stronger career planning behaviors, and heightened recognition of the relevance between current academic pursuits and future professional goals (Duffy and Dik, 2013).

Grounded in self-determination theory (Ryan and Deci, 2000), career calling can be conceptualized as a highly self-determined form of motivation that fulfills individuals’ basic psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness, thereby fostering greater learning engagement and psychological resilience (Allan et al., 2016; Wen et al., 2023). Empirical studies indicate that career calling can buffer against the sense of meaninglessness and emptiness that may arise from low levels of professional identity (Lu et al., 2025) and plays a positive moderating role in the learning process. For instance, among preservice teachers, higher levels of career calling have been shown to significantly predict learning motivation and the use of cognitive strategies, thereby effectively reducing the risk of learning burnout (Shang et al., 2022). Moreover, students with a strong sense of calling tend to actively engage in learning activities that align with their abilities and interests, which helps mitigate the academic exhaustion associated with feelings of emptiness and meaninglessness (Wells et al., 2023).

Therefore, career calling serves as a protective psychological resource that helps alleviate the negative impact of emptiness on learning burnout.

In summary, the findings of this study suggest an integrated model in which professional identity is the independent variable, learning burnout is the dependent variable, emptiness serves as the mediating variable, and career calling functions as the moderating variable. This framework aims to explore the underlying psychological mechanisms and boundary conditions of learning burnout among university students (see Figure 1).

In this study, undergraduate students from three universities located in western China were selected as the research subjects. Data were collected using the online survey platform Questionnaire Star¹ from May 19 to June 13, 2025. A random sampling method was adopted. The questionnaires were distributed through a combination of offline and online channels: offline administration involved inviting students to complete the survey between classes, while online distribution utilized teacher and peer networks to disseminate the electronic survey link via QQ, WeChat, and email to currently enrolled undergraduates. A total of 663 questionnaires were collected. After those with missing responses, identical or patterned answers, careless or perfunctory completion, and unusually short response times were excluded, 513 valid questionnaires were retained, yielding an effective response rate of 77.38%.

The demographic characteristics of the sample are presented in Table 1.

In this study, the minimum required sample size was estimated using two approaches. First, Fritz and MacKinnon’s (2007) Monte Carlo simulation indicated that testing a mediation effect with a medium effect size requires 200–400 participants to achieve 80–90% statistical power. Second, Kline (2015) recommended that regression-based and mediation models should include at least 200–300 participants. Considering potential sample loss due to incomplete or invalid questionnaires, the target sample size for this study was set at 500 participants.

The inclusion criteria for this study were as follows: (1) being a currently enrolled undergraduate student; (2) having the ability to independently comprehend and complete the questionnaire; and (3) providing informed consent voluntarily. The exclusion criteria were (1) unwillingness or inability to complete the questionnaire; (2) responses exhibiting obvious patterns or uniformity; and (3) questionnaires with missing data.

The primary variables measured in this study included professional identity, career calling, college students’ sense of meaninglessness, and learning burnout. All the scales employed in this study were developed by Chinese scholars within the Chinese linguistic and cultural context. Their item descriptions are consistent with Chinese students’ language habits and comprehension levels, thereby enabling more accurate assessment of the target population. These measurement scales have demonstrated satisfactory reliability and validity across previous empirical studies. Each scale employed a five-point Likert scoring system, with scores indicating the extent to which respondents agreed that the statement applied to them. A score of 1 represents “strongly disagree,” whereas a score of 5 represents “strongly agree.”

The Professional Identity Scale adopted Qin (2009) research questionnaire, comprising 23 items across four dimensions: cognitive, emotional, behavioral, and appropriateness. A 5-point rating scale was used, with higher scores indicating stronger professional identity. Example items include statements such as “I understand the competence requirements of my major” and “I am aware of the employment prospects associated with my major.” In the present study, the scale demonstrated excellent internal consistency, with a Cronbach’s α coefficient of 0.951, indicating highly reliable measurement performance.

Learning burnout was assessed using the College Student Learning Burnout Scale developed by Lian et al. (2005), which consists of 20 items categorized into three dimensions: dejection, misconduct, and reduced sense of achievement. Higher scores indicate higher levels of learning burnout. Example items include statements such as “I have my own learning strategies and plans, and I am able to carry them out” and “I feel that what I am learning is useless.” In the present study, the internal consistency of the scale was good, with a Cronbach’s α coefficient of 0.858, indicating satisfactory reliability.

Career calling was measured using the Career Calling Scale developed by Zhang et al. (2014), which includes 11 items and four dimensions: altruistic contribution, guidance, meaning, and value. Higher scores represent a stronger sense of career calling. Example items include statements such as “I want my future work to contribute to society” and “I aspire to engage in a profession that benefits others.” In the present study, the scale demonstrated good internal consistency, with a Cronbach’s α coefficient of 0.871, indicating satisfactory reliability.

Sense of emptiness was assessed using the College Students’ Emptiness Scale developed by Liang (2013). The scale contains 11 items distributed across four dimensions: sense of value, emotional experience, volitional freedom, and negative behavior. Higher scores reflect a stronger sense of emptiness. Example items include statements such as “I am unable to feel a sense of personal worth” and “Even when I have free time, I have no desire to study.” In the present study, the internal consistency of the scale was excellent, with a Cronbach’s α coefficient of 0.946, indicating high reliability.

All the statistical analyses were performed using SPSS version 31.0. Descriptive statistics were calculated using the frequency (n) and percentage (%) used for categorical variables and the mean ± standard deviation (M ± SD) used for continuous variables.

Hayes’ PROCESS macro (Version 3.5) was utilized to test the hypothesized mediation and moderation effects. Specifically, a mediation analysis was conducted to examine the indirect effects of professional identity on learning burnout via a sense of emptiness, and a moderation analysis was performed to examine the buffering effect of career calling.

To assess the potential common method bias in the data, Harman’s single-factor test was conducted on all measurement items using unrotated principal component analysis. The results indicated that 12 factors had eigenvalues greater than 1, and the first factor accounted for 32.09% of the total variance, which was below the critical threshold of 40%. Therefore, the results suggest that no significant common method bias was present in the data (Hair et al., 1998).

As shown in Table 2, the relationships among professional identity, career calling, a sense of emptiness, and learning burnout among college students were as follows: Professional identity was significantly negatively correlated with a sense of emptiness (r = −0.609, p < 0.01). Professional identity was significantly positively correlated with career calling (r = 0.632, p < 0.01). Professional identity was significantly negatively correlated with learning burnout (r = −0.673, p < 0.01). Sense of emptiness was significantly negatively correlated with career calling (r = −0.417, p < 0.01). Sense of emptiness was significantly positively correlated with learning burnout (r = 0.745, p < 0.01). Career calling was significantly negatively correlated with learning burnout (r = −0.461, p < 0.01).

These findings preliminarily indicate that professional identity and career calling may play protective roles in mitigating learning burnout, whereas a stronger sense of emptiness is associated with higher levels of burnout.

After controlling for gender, grade level, major, and place of origin, professional identity was used as the independent variable, learning burnout was used as the dependent variable, sense of emptiness was used as the mediating variable, and career calling was used as the moderating variable. The mediating effect was tested using Model 4 of the PROCESS macro for SPSS (Hayes, 2013). Following Hayes’s bootstrap approach, bias-corrected 95% confidence intervals were calculated to evaluate the significance of the indirect effect. All the continuous variables were mean centered prior to the analysis.

Following the procedure proposed by Wen and Ye (2014), the mediating role of sense of emptiness between professional identity and learning burnout was further examined (see Figure 2). The results (see Table 3) indicated that sense of emptiness exerted a significant partial mediating effect on the relationship between professional identity and learning burnout.

The results indicate that the sense of emptiness has a partial mediating role in the relationship between professional identity and learning burnout. Specifically, a lower level of professional identity is associated with higher levels of learning burnout through an increased sense of emptiness. The mediating effect accounts for 48.25% of the total effect, and the corresponding path coefficients are shown in Figure 2.

To examine the moderating role of career calling in the proposed model, the PROCESS macro (Model 14) was applied. The results indicated that career calling significantly moderated the relationship between emptiness and learning burnout (β = 0.0663, p = 0.014). Specifically, the strength of the positive association between emptiness and learning burnout varied across different levels of career calling: The stronger the level of career calling was, the stronger the positive predictive effect of emptiness on learning burnout (see Table 4).

However, the confidence interval for moderated mediation [w = −0.0462, 95% CI (−0.1106, 0.0033)] included zero, suggesting that although career calling intensified the direct effect of emptiness on learning burnout, it did not significantly alter the overall strength of the indirect pathway “professional identity → emptiness → learning burnout.” Furthermore, the direct effect of career calling on learning burnout was not significant (β = −0.0235, p = 0.4505), indicating that individuals with a greater sense of calling may experience greater psychological exhaustion when confronted with emptiness.

To provide a clearer interpretation of the moderating effect, participants were categorized into high and low career calling groups on the basis of one standard deviation above and below the mean of their career calling scores, respectively. A simple slope analysis was subsequently performed to further examine the predictive effect of emptiness on learning burnout at different levels of career calling.

The results revealed that when career calling was high, emptiness significantly and positively predicted learning burnout (β = 0.4322, p < 0.001). Similarly, when career calling was low, emptiness significantly and positively predicted learning burnout (β = 0.3511, p < 0.001). However, the magnitude of these effects differed, indicating that the interaction term between career calling and emptiness significantly predicted learning burnout (see Figure 3).

In summary, while career calling did not significantly alter the overall effect of professional identity on learning burnout, it did amplify the pathway between emptiness and learning burnout. For college students with a high level of career calling, experiences of emptiness may induce stronger psychological conflicts and consequently lead to greater learning burnout. These findings imply that for students with high levels of career calling, particular attention should be given to their feelings of emptiness to prevent intensified burnout resulting from the dissonance between strong career calling and a sense of inner emptiness.

The path coefficients of the model were estimated using the PROCESS macro (see Figure 2). The results revealed that professional identity was a significant negative predictor of learning burnout (b = −0.5702, p < 0.001), thus supporting H1. Professional identity also had a significant negative effect on emptiness (b = −0.6971, p < 0.001), providing support for H2a. Emptiness, in turn, significantly and positively predicted learning burnout (b = 0.3946, p < 0.001), supporting H2b.

The direct effect of professional identity on learning burnout remained significant (b = −0.2951, p < 0.001), indicating that emptiness partially mediated this relationship. The bootstrap test further confirmed the significance of this mediating effect, with an indirect effect of −0.2751 and a 95% confidence interval of [−0.3225, –0.2279], which did not include zero, thus supporting H2c.

Moreover, the interaction term between emptiness and career calling had a significant moderating effect on learning burnout (b = 0.0663, p = 0.0140). However, the direction of moderation was contrary to the initial hypothesis. The results revealed that career calling amplified, rather than attenuated, the positive effect of emptiness on learning burnout. Specifically, a higher level of career calling was associated with a stronger positive relationship between emptiness and learning burnout. Therefore, H3 was not supported.

First, professional identity significantly and negatively predicted learning burnout among college students. The significant negative correlation between professional identity and learning burnout (r = −0.609, p < 0.01), along with a path coefficient of −0.2951 (p < 0.001), indicates that students with higher levels of professional identity are less likely to experience learning burnout. According to self-determination theory (Ryan and Deci, 2000), individual behavior is driven by intrinsic motivation. When college students identify strongly with their chosen major, their intrinsic motivation to learn is activated, which promotes positive learning engagement and reduces burnout behaviors (Güngör and Sari, 2022). Furthermore, higher professional identity enhances students’ sense of self-efficacy, enabling them to experience a greater sense of control and achievement in their studies, further mitigating the risk of learning burnout (Zou et al., 2024).

Second, professional identity indirectly affects learning burnout by reducing the sense of emptiness. Mediation analysis revealed that emptiness partially mediated the relationship between professional identity and learning burnout [indirect effect = −0.2751, 95% CI (−0.3225, −0.2279)]. This finding indicates that higher professional identity is associated with lower levels of emptiness, which in turn reduces learning burnout. Students with a strong professional identity often possess clearer purpose and meaning in their academic pursuits, enabling them to experience a stronger sense of belonging and value in their studies (Yukhymenko-Lescroart, 2024), thereby feeling less empty. Conversely, students with low professional identity tend to lack interest in their academic field and have an unclear sense of direction, which makes them more susceptible to confusion, helplessness, and ultimately a stronger sense of emptiness (Hang et al., 2025; Wu et al., 2024).

According to Frankl’s (1984) logotherapy theory, individuals who fail to find meaning or purpose in life are prone to “existential emptiness.” To compensate, they may engage in maladaptive behaviors such as excessive sleeping, alcohol abuse, or internet addiction, which in turn exacerbate learning burnout. Therefore, along the causal chain “professional identity → sense of emptiness → learning burnout,” low professional identity can lead to goal loss and meaninglessness, trigger feelings of emptiness, and further increase burnout through maladaptive coping behaviors.

Third, career calling positively moderated the effect of emptiness on learning burnout. The interaction term between emptiness and career calling significantly predicted learning burnout (b = 0.0663, p = 0.0140), suggesting that career calling strengthened—rather than weakened—the positive association between emptiness and learning burnout. Contrary to the initial hypothesis, high levels of career calling did not buffer the negative impact of emptiness but rather amplified it. These findings can be interpreted through cognitive dissonance theory (Festinger, 1972). Individuals with high levels of career calling tend to hold lofty professional ideals and strong role expectations (Wrzesniewski et al., 1997). When they experience a sense of emptiness during their studies, the discrepancy between ideals and reality induces cognitive dissonance, leading to psychological discomfort. To reduce this discomfort, they may redirect their negative emotions toward the learning context, attributing dissatisfaction to their courses, teachers, or academic tasks. This process intensifies feelings of helplessness, detachment, and cynicism, ultimately exacerbating learning burnout. In other words, under conditions of emptiness, high levels of career calling amplify the conflict between ideals and reality, thereby increasing the risk of learning burnout.

The findings suggest that mitigating learning burnout among college students requires a multifaceted approach centered on enhancing professional identity, addressing feelings of emptiness, and appropriately guiding career calling.