Abstract
In this chapter, it is proposed that interest is an essential ingredient in the dynamic system of experience that contributes to psychological well-being at all life stages. The varying associations between interest and related constructs of curiosity and enjoyment and ways that interest functions to regulate and guide behaviour are explored. Research evidence sampling a range of perspectives is presented to explore how interest combines with other processes to build schemas that promote positive development and psychological well-being. The contribution of interest to psychological well-being arises from its character as motivating affective experience and from its functional significance for the onset and maintenance of information seeking, knowledge and actions. From the earliest processing of experience in infancy through to the activities, thoughts and feelings that occupy the elderly, when we examine the psychological make-up of productive growth-promoting schemas, interest is one of the key ingredients in the mix.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Ainley, M., & Ainley, J. (2011). Student engagement with science in early adolescence: The contribution of enjoyment to students' continuing interest in learning about science. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 36(1), 4–12. doi:10.1016/j.cedpsych.2010.1008.1001.
Alexander, P. (2004). A model of domain learning: Reinterpreting expertise as a multidimensional, multistage process. In D. Y. Dai & R. J. Sternberg (Eds.), Motivation, emotion and cognition: Integrative perspectives on intellectual functioning and development (pp. 273–298). Mahwah: Erlbaum.
Azevedo, F. S. (2011). Lines of practice: A practice-centered theory of interest relationships. Cognition and Instruction, 29(2), 147–184. doi:110.1080/07370008.07372011.07556834.
Berlyne, D. E. (1949). ‘Interest’ as a psychological concept. British Journal of Psychology, 39, 184–195.
Bye, D., Pushkar, D., & Conway, M. (2007). Motivation, interest, and positive affect in traditional and nontraditional undergraduate students. Adult Educational Quarterly, 57(2), 141–158. doi:110.1177/0741713606294235.
Chak, A. (2002). Understanding children's curiosity and exploration through the lenses of Lewin’s field theory: On developing an appraisal framework. Early Child Development and Care, 172(1), 77–87. doi:10.1080/03004430290000753.
Chen, A., & Ennis, C. D. (2004). Goal, interest, and learning in physical education. The Journal of Educational Research, 97(6), 329–338.
Consedine, N. S. (2008). The health-promoting and health-damaging effects of emotions: The view from developmental functionalism. In M. D. Lewis, J. Haviland-Jones, & L. Feldman-Barrett (Eds.), Handbook of emotions (3rd ed., pp. 676–690). New York: Guilford.
Consedine, N. S., Magai, C., & King, A. R. (2004). Deconstructing positive affect in later life: A differential functionalist analysis of joy and interest. International Journal of Aging and Human Development, 58(1), 49–68.
Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1990). Flow: The psychology of optimal experience. New York: Harper & Row.
Csikszentmihalyi, M., & Larson, R. W. (1987). Validity and reliability of the experience-sampling method. Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 175(9), 526–536.
Erikson, E. (1968). Identity: Youth and crisis. New York: Norton.
Flum, H., & Kaplan, A. (2006). Exploratory orientation as an educational goal. Educational Psychologist, 41(2), 99–110.
Fredrickson, B. L. (2001). The role of positive emotions in positive psychology: The broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions. American Psychologist, 56(3), 218–226. doi:210.211O237//210OO213-O266X.256.213.218.
Fredrickson, B. L., & Branigan, C. (2005). Positive emotions broaden the scope of attention and thought-action repertoires. Cognition and Emotion, 19(3), 313–332.
Fredrickson, B. L., Tugade, M. M., Waugh, C. E., & Larkin, G. R. (2003). What good are positive emotions in crises? A prospective study of resilience and emotions following the terrorist attacks on the United States on September 11th, 2001. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 84(2), 365–376. doi:310.1037/0022-3514.1084.1032.1365.
Frenzel, A. C., Pekrun, R., Dicke, A., & Goetz, T. (2012). Beyond quantitative decline: Conceptual shifts in adolescents' development of interest in mathematics. Developmental Psychology, 48(4), 1069–1082. doi:10.1037/a0026885
Grossmann, K. E., Grossmann, K., & Zimmermann, P. (1999). A wider view of attachment and exploration: Stability and change during the years of immaturity. In J. Cassidy & P. R. Shaver (Eds.), Handbook of attachment: Theory, research and clinical applications (pp. 760–786). New York: Guilford.
Hidi, S. (2006). Interest: A unique motivational variable. Educational Research Review, 1(2), 69–82. doi:10.1016/j.edurev.2006.1009.1001.
Hidi, S., & Berndorff, D. (1998). Situational interest and learning. In L. Hoffmann, A. Krapp, A. Renninger, & J. Baumert (Eds.), Interest and learning: Proceedings of the Seeon Conference on gender and interest (pp. 74–90). Kiel: IPN.
Hidi, S., & Renninger, K. A. (2006). The four-phase model of interest development. Educational Psychologist, 41(2), 111–127.
Hofer, M. (2010). Adolescents’ development of individual interests: A product of multiple goal regulation? Educational Psychologist, 54(3), 149–166. doi:110.1080/00461520.00462010.00493469.
Hunter, J. P., & Csikszentmihalyi, M. (2003). The positive psychology of interested adolescents. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 32, 27–35.
Izard, C. E. (2007). Basic emotions, natural kinds, emotion schemas, and a new paradigm. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 2(3), 260–280.
Izard, C. E. (2009). Emotion theory and research: Highlights, unanswered questions, and emerging issues. Annual Review of Psychology, 60, 1–25.
Jörg, T., Davis, B., & Nickmans, G. (2007). Towards a new, complexity science of learning and education. Educational Research Review, 2(2), 145–156. doi:110.1016/j.edurev.2007.1009.1002.
Krapp, A. (2003). Interest and human development: An educational-psychological perspective. Development and Motivation, BJEP Monograph Series, Series, II(2), 57–84.
Lewis, M. D., & Granic, I. (Eds.). (2000). Emotion, development, and self-organization: Dynamic systems approaches to emotional development. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
McCrae, R. R., & Costa, P. T. (1983). Joint factors in self-reports and ratings: Neuroticism, extraversion and openness to experience. Personality and Individual Differences, 4(3), 245–255. doi:210.1016/0191-8869(1083)90146-90140.
Pekrun, R., Goetz, T., Titz, W., & Perry, R. P. (2002). Academic emotions in students' self-regulated learning and achievement: A program of qualitative and quantitative research. Educational Psychologist, 37(2), 91–105.
Peterson, C., & Seligman, M. (2004). Character strengths and virtues: A handbook and classification. New York: Oxford University Press.
Phillipe, F. L., Vallerand, R. J., & Lavigne, G. L. (2009). Passion does make a difference in people’s lives: A look at well-being in passionate and non-passionate individuals. Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being, 1(1), 3–22. doi:10.1111/j.1758-0854.2008.01003.x.
Pinquart, M., & Sorensen, S. (2009). Influences of socioeconomic status, social network, and competence on subjective well-being in later life: A meta-analysis. Psychology and Aging, 15(2), 187–224. doi:110.1037//0882- 7974.1015.1032.1187.
Raine, A., Reynolds, C., Venables, P. H., & Mednick, S. A. (2002). Stimulation seeking and intelligence: A prospective longitudinal study. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 82(4), 663–674. doi:610.1037//0022-3514.1082.1034.1663.
Reeve, J. (1989). The interest-enjoyment distinction in intrinsic motivation. Motivation and Emotion, 13(2), 83–103.
Renninger, K. A. (2000). How might the development of individual interest contribute to the conceptualization of intrinsic motivation. In C. Sansone & J. M. Harackiewicz (Eds.), Intrinsic and extrinsic motivation: The search for optimal motivation and performance (pp. 373–404). San Diego: Academic.
Sansone, C., Weir, C., Harpster, L., & Morgan, C. (1992). Once a boring task always a boring task? Interest as a self-regulatory mechanism. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 63(3), 379–309.
Saxe, R. M., & Stollack, G. E. (1971). Curiosity and the parent–child relationship. Child Development, 42(2), 373–384. doi:310.1111/1467-8624.ep7248895.
Schraw, G., & Lehman, S. (2001). Situational Interest: A review of the literature and directions for future research. Educational Psychology Review, 13(1), 23–52.
Silvia, P. J. (2006). Exploring the psychology of interest. New York: Oxford University Press.
Silvia, P. J. (2008). Interest – The curious emotion. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 17(1), 57–60.
Sun, H., Chen, A., Ennis, C. D., Martin, R., & Shen, B. (2008). An examination of the multidimensionality of situational interest in elementary school physical education. Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, 79(1), 62–70.
Thelen, E., & Smith, L. B. (2006). Dynamic systems theories. In W. Damon & R. M. Lerner (Eds.), Handbook of child psychology (6th ed., Vol. 1, pp. 258–312). Hoboken: Wiley.
Thoman, D. B., Smith, J. L., & Silvia, P. J. (2011). The resource replishment function of interest. Social Psychological and Personality Science. doi:10.1177/1948550611402521.
Trentacosta, C. J., & Izard, C. E. (2007). Kindergarten children’s emotion competence as a predictor of their academic competence in first grade. Emotion, 7(1), 77–88. doi:10.1037/1528-3542.1037.1031.1077.
Turner, S. A., & Silvia, P. J. (2006). Must interesting things be pleasant? A test of competing appraisal structures. Emotion, 6(4), 670–674. doi:610.1037/1528-3542.1036.1034.1670.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2012 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Ainley, M. (2012). One Ingredient in the Mix: Interest and Psychological Well-Being. In: Efklides, A., Moraitou, D. (eds) A Positive Psychology Perspective on Quality of Life. Social Indicators Research Series, vol 51. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-4963-4_13
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-4963-4_13
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-94-007-4962-7
Online ISBN: 978-94-007-4963-4
eBook Packages: Behavioral ScienceBehavioral Science and Psychology (R0)