Emotional labor strategies influence job burnout among university counselors: A moderated mediation model

Guided by conservation of resources theory, this study explored the mechanisms linking emotional labor strategies (;surface acting, deep acting, expression of naturally felt emotions) to job burnout among 744 university counselors, incorporating the mediating role of psychological capital and the moderating role of professional identity. Results showed that surface acting positively predicted job burnout, while the expression of naturally felt emotions negatively predicted job burnout. Deep acting exerted no significant total effect on burnout, as its positive direct effect was offset by a negative indirect effect via psychological capital. Psychological capital mediated the relationships between deep acting, expression of naturally felt emotions, and job burnout, but not between surface acting and job burnout. Professional identity moderated the psychological capital–job burnout link, such that psychological capital alleviated burnout among counselors with low, but not high, professional identity. These findings provide targeted insights for reducing university counselors' job burnout.