Interest and Interests: The Psychology of Constructive Capriciousness

Abstract

The abiding interest that sustains scientific research has only rarely been displaced onto interest itself. What little research there is, however, has pursued one of two parallel paths. The first path is the study of interest as a transient affective state. Emotion psychology-this path's primary traveler-has historically viewed interest as the black sheep in the flock of basic emotions. The -prototypical‖ negative emotions such as anger and fear have received the lion's share of research, leaving interest and the other positive emotions in relative obscurity (Fredrickson, 1998). But mere neglect aside, many venerable shepherds have kicked interest out of the flock entirely. Interest isn't included in many major emotion theories, beginning with Darwin (1872/1998) and continuing with contemporary models

Psychological Resilience and Positive Emotional Granularity: Examining the Benefits of Positive Emotions on Coping and Health

“…Variations on these cognitive effects of coping can be shown across discrete positive emotions. To illustrate with a few examples, contentment involves present awareness or mindfulness (Fredrickson, 2000), which assists self-regulation by prompting greater attention to one's needs and increases receptiveness to various behavioral options in order to fulfill those needs (e.g., Brown & Ryan, 2003); interest diversifies knowledge, cognitive skills, and experiences, thereby cultivating competencies useful for problem solving (Izard, 1977;Silvia, 2001); and hope allows one to stay open to new information and motivates sustained effort in the face of adversity (for a review, see Snyder, 2001). Given the important informational value provided by discrete positive emotions and the beneficial effects associated with them, it is plausible that positive emotional granularity should be associated with useful coping styles to manage stress.…”

Emotional Responses to Art: From Collation and Arousal to Cognition and Emotion

“…This section reviews new research rooted in appraisal theories on emotional responses to art. This research examined appraisals of interest (Silvia, 2006), the emotion associated with exploration, intrinsic motivation, curiosity, and learning (Fredrickson, 1998;Hidi, 1990Hidi, , 2001Krapp, 1999;Sansone & Smith, 2000;Silvia, 2001Silvia, , 2005bTomkins, 1962). It is the prototypical emotion in a class of -epistemology-related‖ emotions (Ellsworth, 2003;Keltner & Haidt, 2003;Keltner & Shiota, 2003).…”

Tool use in open learning environments: In search of learner-related determinants

“…Situational interest is generated as a result of interestingness of situation. It is caused primarily by certain conditions and concrete objects in the environment, triggered by environmental factors, elicited by certain aspects of a situation, and it is assumed to contribute to the interestingness of the situation (Harp & Mayer, 1997;Hidi & Anderson, 1992;Krapp, 1999Krapp, , 2002Renninger et al, 1992;Schiefele, 1992Schiefele, , 1996Silvia, 2001). While individual interest is a relatively stable evaluative orientation towards certain domains, situational interest is formed if an emotional state aroused by specific features of an activity or a task.…”

“…From the view of individual interest, interest is implied as a characteristic of person. It is specific to individuals, developed slowly, tends to be long lasting, and is triggered by an individual's predisposition Schiefele, 1998;Silvia, 2001). For example, learners who are interested in a topic or an activity pay more attention and acquire more knowledge than participants without such interest.…”