Affective empathy and retention intention among Chinese preschool teachers: a serial mediation model of resilience and emotional exhaustion

Drawing on the Job Demands–Resources (JD–R) model and Conservation of Resources (COR) theory, this study examined the psychological mechanisms underlying the relationship between affective empathy and retention intention among preschool teachers. A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 833 kindergarten teachers in Hunan Province, China, utilizing validated measures. Serial mediation analysis indicated that affective empathy was not directly associated with retention intention. However, significant indirect negative associations were identified through three distinct resource depletion pathways: (1) an independent pathway via diminished psychological resilience, (2) an independent pathway via heightened emotional exhaustion, and (3) a serial mediation pathway wherein elevated affective empathy was sequentially associated with lower resilience, increased emotional exhaustion, and ultimately, reduced retention intention. These findings highlight that while affective empathy is an essential pedagogical trait in early childhood care, unbuffered empathic engagement may act as a chronic emotional job demand that accelerates internal resource loss. The results suggest that preserving empathic teaching while mitigating emotional exhaustion demands a systemic integration of emotional boundary skills, institutional peer support, and structural workplace reforms.