In the name of interests: A joint consideration of interest development and consequence.

Abstract

Vocational interests have been an important concept for career decision making and counseling. However, while researchers have separately explored the criterion validity of interest congruence and the formation mechanism of interests, there has been little joint, interactive consideration of the two key aspects of interests. A key issue remains unclear: Could interests with different focal formation mechanisms have different consequences? Drawing on the motivation and vocational literature, this article first explains why it is possible and necessary to differentiate the formation mechanisms of interests in terms of motivational focus (intrinsic, extrinsic-autonomous, and extrinsic-controlled). Then, it formulates how the motivational focus of interests interacts with the performance focus of environments (quality-oriented vs. quantity-oriented) and the value focus of individuals (intrinsic vs. extrinsic satisfaction) in shaping the criterion validity of congruence. By linking what people like with why they like it, the joint interest formation and consequence model (a) delineates the motivational, performance, and value moderators of congruence-criterion links and explains previous results; (b) suggests assessment strategies that can facilitate research and practice related to the joint model and marginalized populations; and (c) provides insights into the flexible use of interests in different scenarios of career selection. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).