Interest: A unique affective and cognitive motivational variable that develops

Abstract

Mounting evidence demonstrates that the presence of interest is foundational for both motivation and continued engagement. Interest describes the ways that individuals engage with activities or content (e.g., mathematics, music); it refers to both the psychological state during engagement, as well as the motivation to reengage. In this article, we describe updates to the four-phase model of interest development (Hidi & Renninger, 2006), which depicts interest as evolving through phases that are coordinated with other variables such as goals, self-efficacy, and self-regulation. We review studies that provide details about sociocultural influences, the physiological basis of interest, the relation of interest to curiosity and to intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, and the approach of the four-phase model in relation to situated expectancy-value theory and to studies of vocational and occupational interests. We then consider the relation of the four-phase model to goals, self-efficacy, and self-regulation, and suggest clear benefits of examining interest along with these variables. Finally, we conclude that research on interest underscores the critical importance of leveraging its power for the motivation and engagement of all learners.