The Promotion and Development of Interest: The Importance of Perceived Values

Why would Marcus, a high school volleyball player, spend countless hours practicing his serve in his backyard, until his arms were so tired that he could hardly move? Does the value he sees in practicing help him overcome his fatigue and maintain his passion toward volleyball? Why would Erica, a high school student, spend her weekends attending math competitions, often travelling many hours each way? Why does she enjoy math and see the importance of math to her future when so many other students do not? In the parlance of interest research, these two individuals exhibit well-developed interests in volleyball and math, respectively. In this chapter we consider how finding value and meaning in activities and topics leads to the development of interest. We also highlight a program of research that we have pursued over the last decade designed to promote interest development. Finally, we discuss how other people in our lives influence value, both directly and indirectly, and as a result, the development of interest. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)