Variability in Certainty of Self-Reported Interest: Implications for Theory and Research Implications for Theory and Research
Main Article Content
Abstract
These studies examined self-reported interest, how level of interest is related to reported certainty of interest, and whether certainty helps to clarify the relationship between interest and behavior. This research borrows from research on attitudes showing that attitude certainty helps to clarify the relationship between attitudes and behavior. A pilot study examined the relationship between self-reported interest and certainty of interest within four disciplines (math, psychology, biology, and astronomy). These relationships were replicated in math (Study 1) and psychology (Study 2), and the relationships between interest and behavior were stronger for those with greater certainty. For domains in which participants had sufficient levels of experience and varied levels of interest, curvilinear relationships were found between level of interest and certainty, showing that certainty is higher among individuals who report more extreme (high or low) levels of interest. Moreover, self-reported interest predicted behavior more strongly for those with more certainty in their responses. Discussion surrounds the theoretical and methodological utility of considering certainty of interest alongside measures of self-reported interest.
Article Details
How to Cite
Durik, A., & Jenkins, J. (2020). Variability in Certainty of Self-Reported Interest: Implications for Theory and Research: Implications for Theory and Research. Frontline Learning Research, 8(3), 85–103. https://doi.org/10.14786/flr.v8i3.491
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References
References
Ainley, M., & Ainley, J. (2011). A cultural perspective on the structure of student interest in science. International Journal of Science Education, 33, 51-71.
Ainley, M., Hidi, S., & Berndorff, D. (2002). Interest, learning, and the psychological processes that mediate their relationship. Journal of Educational Psychology, 94, 545-561.
Bem, D. J. (1967). Self-perception: An alternative interpretation of cognitive dissonance phenomena. Psychological Review, 74, 183-200.
Berger, I. E. (1999). The influence of advertising frequency on attitude-behavior consistency: A memory based analysis. Journal of Social Behavior & Personality, 14, 547–568.
Bizer, G. Y., Tormala, Z. L., Rucker, D. D., & Petty, R. E. (2006). Memory-based versus on-line processing: Implications for attitude strength. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 42, 646–653.
Cheatham, L. B., & Tormala, Z. L. (2017). The curvilinear relationsip between attitude certainty and attitudinal advocacy. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 43, 3-16.
Deci, E. L. (1992). The relation of interest to the motivation of behavior: A self-determination theory perspective. In K. A. Renninger, S. Hidi, & A. Krapp, A. (Eds.), The role of interest in learning and development (pp. 43-70). Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
Dutta, S., Kanungo, R. N; & Freibergs, V. (1972). Retention of affective material: Effects of intensity of affect on retrieval". Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 23, 64–80.
Fazio, R. H., & Zanna, M. P. (1978). Attitudinal qualities relating to the strength of the attitude– behavior relationship. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 14, 398–408.
Glasman, L. R., & Albarracin, D. (2006). Forming attitudes that predict future behavior: A meta-analysis of the attitude-behavior relation. Psychological Bulletin, 132, 778-822.
Gross, S. R., Holtz, R., & Miller, N. (1995). Attitude certainty. In R. E. Petty & J. A. Krosnick (Eds), Attitude strength: Antecedents and consequences (pp.215-245). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
Harackiewicz, J. M., Durik, A. M., Barron, K. E., Linnenbrink-Garcia, L., & Tauer, J. M. (2008). The role of achievement goals in the development of interest: Reciprocal relations between achievement goals, interest and performance. Journal of Educational Psychology, 100(1), 105-122.
Hidi, S. & Renninger, K.A. (2006). The four-phase model of interest development. Educational Psychologist, 41, 111-127.
Jarvis, W. B. G. (2004). MediaLab [Computer software]. New York: Empirisoft.
Jonas, K., Diehl, M., & Broemer, P. (1997). Effects of attitudinal ambivalence on information processing and attitude-intention consistency. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 33, 190–210.
Kahneman, D., Fredrickson, B. L., Schreiber, C. A., & Redelmeier, D. A. (1993). When more pain is preferred to less: Adding a better end. Psychological Science. 4, 401–405.
Krapp, A. (2002). An educational-psychological theory of interest and its relation to SDT. In. E. L. Deci & R. M. Ryan (Eds.), Handbook of self-determination research (pp. 405-427). Rochester, NY: University of Rochester Press.
Krapp, A., & Prenzel, M. (2011). Research on interest in science: Theories, methods, and findings. International Journal of Science Education, 33, 27-50.
Krishnan, H. S., & Smith, R. E. (1998). The relative endurance of attitudes, confidence and attitude-behavior consistency: The role of information source and delay. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 7, 273–298.
Krosnick, J. A., Boninger, D. S., Chuang, Y. C., Berent, M. K., & Carnot, C. G. (1993). Attitude strength: One construct or many related constructs? Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 65, 1132-1151.
Krosnick, J. A., & Petty, R. E. (1995). Attitude strength: An overview. In R. E. Petty & J. A. Krosnick (Eds.), Attitude strength: Antecedents and consequences (pp. 1-24). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
Kupor, D. M., & Tormala, Z. L. (2015). Persuasion, interrupted: The effect of momentary interruptions on message processing and persuasion. Journal of Consumer Research, 42, 300–315. doi.org/10.1093/jcr/ucv018
Linnenbrink-Garcia, L., Durik, A. M., Conley, A. M., Barron, K. E., Tauer, J. M., Karabenick, S. A., & Harackiewicz, J. M. (2010). Measuring situational interest in academic domains. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 70, 647-671.
Mitchell, M. (1993). Situational interest: Its multifaceted structure in the secondary school mathematics classroom. Journal of Educational Psychology, 85, 424–436.
Nunnally, J. C., & Bernstein, I. A. (1994). Psychometric theory (3rd ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.
Olson, J. M., & Stone, J. (2005). The influence of behavior on attitudes. In D. Albarracin, B. T. Johnson, & M. P. Zanna (Eds.), The handbook of attitudes (pp. 223-271). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
Petrocelli J. V., Tormala, Z. L., & Rucker, D. D. (2007). Unpacking attitude certainty: Attitude clarity and attitude correctness. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 92, 30-41.
Pomerantz, E. M., Chaiken, S., & Tordesillas, R. S. (1995). Attitude strength and resistance processes. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 69, 408-419.
Prislin, R., Wood, W., & Pool, G. J. (1998). Structural consistency and the deduction of novel from existing attitudes. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 34, 66–89.
Renninger, K. A. (1990). Children’s play interests, representation, and activity. In R. Fivush & K. Hudson (Eds.), Knowing and remembering in young children (pp. 127-165). New York: Cambridge University Press.
Renninger, K. A. (2000). Individual interest and its implications for understanding intrinsic motivation. In C. Sansone and J. M. Harackiewicz (Eds.), Intrinsic and extrinsic motivation: The search for optimal motivation and performance (pp. 373-404). San Diego, CA: Academic Press, Inc.
Renninger, K. A., & Hidi, S. (2011). Revisiting the conceptualization, measurement, and generation of interest. Educational Psychologist, 46, 168-184.
Renninger, K. A., Hidi, S., & Krapp, A. (1992). The role of interest in learning and development. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
Renninger, K. A., & Su, S. (2012). Interest and its development. In R. M. Ryan (Ed.), The Oxford handbook of motivation (pp. 167-187). Oxford: Oxford University.
Rucker, D. D., Tormala, Z. L., Petty, R. E., & Briñol, P. (2014). Consumer conviction and commitment: An appraisal-based framework for attitude certainty. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 24(1), 119-136.
Schiefele, U. (1991). Interest, learning, and motivation. Educational Psychologist, 26, 299-323.
Schiefele, U. (1999). Interest and learning from text. Scientific Studies of Reading, 3, 257-279.
Schraw, G., & Lehman, S. (2001). Situational interest: A review of the literature and directions for future research. Educational Psychology Review, 13, 23-52.
Silvia, P. J. (2005). What is interesting? Exploring the appraisal structure of interest. Emotion, 5, 89–102.
Silvia, P. J. (2006). Exploring the psychology of interest. New York: Oxford University Press.
Silvia, P.J. (2008). Appraisal components and emotion traits: Examining the appraisal basis of trait curiosity. Cognition and Emotion, 22, 94–113.
Simpkins, S. D., Davis-Kean, P. E., & Eccles, J. S. (2006). Math and science motivation: A longitudinal examination of the links between choices and beliefs. Developmental Psychology, 42, 70-83.
Tormala, Z. L. (2016). The role of certainty (and uncertainty) in attitudes and persuasion. Current Opinion in Psychology, 10, 6-11.
Tormala, Z. L., & Rucker, D. D. (2007). Attitude certainty: A review of past findings and emerging perspectives. Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 1, 469-492.
Wijnia, L., Loyens, S. M. M., Derous, E., & Schmidt, H. G. (2014). Do students’ topic interest and tutors’ instructional style matter in problem-based learning? Journal of Educational Psychology, 106, 919-933.
Ainley, M., & Ainley, J. (2011). A cultural perspective on the structure of student interest in science. International Journal of Science Education, 33, 51-71.
Ainley, M., Hidi, S., & Berndorff, D. (2002). Interest, learning, and the psychological processes that mediate their relationship. Journal of Educational Psychology, 94, 545-561.
Bem, D. J. (1967). Self-perception: An alternative interpretation of cognitive dissonance phenomena. Psychological Review, 74, 183-200.
Berger, I. E. (1999). The influence of advertising frequency on attitude-behavior consistency: A memory based analysis. Journal of Social Behavior & Personality, 14, 547–568.
Bizer, G. Y., Tormala, Z. L., Rucker, D. D., & Petty, R. E. (2006). Memory-based versus on-line processing: Implications for attitude strength. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 42, 646–653.
Cheatham, L. B., & Tormala, Z. L. (2017). The curvilinear relationsip between attitude certainty and attitudinal advocacy. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 43, 3-16.
Deci, E. L. (1992). The relation of interest to the motivation of behavior: A self-determination theory perspective. In K. A. Renninger, S. Hidi, & A. Krapp, A. (Eds.), The role of interest in learning and development (pp. 43-70). Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
Dutta, S., Kanungo, R. N; & Freibergs, V. (1972). Retention of affective material: Effects of intensity of affect on retrieval". Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 23, 64–80.
Fazio, R. H., & Zanna, M. P. (1978). Attitudinal qualities relating to the strength of the attitude– behavior relationship. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 14, 398–408.
Glasman, L. R., & Albarracin, D. (2006). Forming attitudes that predict future behavior: A meta-analysis of the attitude-behavior relation. Psychological Bulletin, 132, 778-822.
Gross, S. R., Holtz, R., & Miller, N. (1995). Attitude certainty. In R. E. Petty & J. A. Krosnick (Eds), Attitude strength: Antecedents and consequences (pp.215-245). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
Harackiewicz, J. M., Durik, A. M., Barron, K. E., Linnenbrink-Garcia, L., & Tauer, J. M. (2008). The role of achievement goals in the development of interest: Reciprocal relations between achievement goals, interest and performance. Journal of Educational Psychology, 100(1), 105-122.
Hidi, S. & Renninger, K.A. (2006). The four-phase model of interest development. Educational Psychologist, 41, 111-127.
Jarvis, W. B. G. (2004). MediaLab [Computer software]. New York: Empirisoft.
Jonas, K., Diehl, M., & Broemer, P. (1997). Effects of attitudinal ambivalence on information processing and attitude-intention consistency. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 33, 190–210.
Kahneman, D., Fredrickson, B. L., Schreiber, C. A., & Redelmeier, D. A. (1993). When more pain is preferred to less: Adding a better end. Psychological Science. 4, 401–405.
Krapp, A. (2002). An educational-psychological theory of interest and its relation to SDT. In. E. L. Deci & R. M. Ryan (Eds.), Handbook of self-determination research (pp. 405-427). Rochester, NY: University of Rochester Press.
Krapp, A., & Prenzel, M. (2011). Research on interest in science: Theories, methods, and findings. International Journal of Science Education, 33, 27-50.
Krishnan, H. S., & Smith, R. E. (1998). The relative endurance of attitudes, confidence and attitude-behavior consistency: The role of information source and delay. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 7, 273–298.
Krosnick, J. A., Boninger, D. S., Chuang, Y. C., Berent, M. K., & Carnot, C. G. (1993). Attitude strength: One construct or many related constructs? Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 65, 1132-1151.
Krosnick, J. A., & Petty, R. E. (1995). Attitude strength: An overview. In R. E. Petty & J. A. Krosnick (Eds.), Attitude strength: Antecedents and consequences (pp. 1-24). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
Kupor, D. M., & Tormala, Z. L. (2015). Persuasion, interrupted: The effect of momentary interruptions on message processing and persuasion. Journal of Consumer Research, 42, 300–315. doi.org/10.1093/jcr/ucv018
Linnenbrink-Garcia, L., Durik, A. M., Conley, A. M., Barron, K. E., Tauer, J. M., Karabenick, S. A., & Harackiewicz, J. M. (2010). Measuring situational interest in academic domains. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 70, 647-671.
Mitchell, M. (1993). Situational interest: Its multifaceted structure in the secondary school mathematics classroom. Journal of Educational Psychology, 85, 424–436.
Nunnally, J. C., & Bernstein, I. A. (1994). Psychometric theory (3rd ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.
Olson, J. M., & Stone, J. (2005). The influence of behavior on attitudes. In D. Albarracin, B. T. Johnson, & M. P. Zanna (Eds.), The handbook of attitudes (pp. 223-271). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
Petrocelli J. V., Tormala, Z. L., & Rucker, D. D. (2007). Unpacking attitude certainty: Attitude clarity and attitude correctness. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 92, 30-41.
Pomerantz, E. M., Chaiken, S., & Tordesillas, R. S. (1995). Attitude strength and resistance processes. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 69, 408-419.
Prislin, R., Wood, W., & Pool, G. J. (1998). Structural consistency and the deduction of novel from existing attitudes. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 34, 66–89.
Renninger, K. A. (1990). Children’s play interests, representation, and activity. In R. Fivush & K. Hudson (Eds.), Knowing and remembering in young children (pp. 127-165). New York: Cambridge University Press.
Renninger, K. A. (2000). Individual interest and its implications for understanding intrinsic motivation. In C. Sansone and J. M. Harackiewicz (Eds.), Intrinsic and extrinsic motivation: The search for optimal motivation and performance (pp. 373-404). San Diego, CA: Academic Press, Inc.
Renninger, K. A., & Hidi, S. (2011). Revisiting the conceptualization, measurement, and generation of interest. Educational Psychologist, 46, 168-184.
Renninger, K. A., Hidi, S., & Krapp, A. (1992). The role of interest in learning and development. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
Renninger, K. A., & Su, S. (2012). Interest and its development. In R. M. Ryan (Ed.), The Oxford handbook of motivation (pp. 167-187). Oxford: Oxford University.
Rucker, D. D., Tormala, Z. L., Petty, R. E., & Briñol, P. (2014). Consumer conviction and commitment: An appraisal-based framework for attitude certainty. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 24(1), 119-136.
Schiefele, U. (1991). Interest, learning, and motivation. Educational Psychologist, 26, 299-323.
Schiefele, U. (1999). Interest and learning from text. Scientific Studies of Reading, 3, 257-279.
Schraw, G., & Lehman, S. (2001). Situational interest: A review of the literature and directions for future research. Educational Psychology Review, 13, 23-52.
Silvia, P. J. (2005). What is interesting? Exploring the appraisal structure of interest. Emotion, 5, 89–102.
Silvia, P. J. (2006). Exploring the psychology of interest. New York: Oxford University Press.
Silvia, P.J. (2008). Appraisal components and emotion traits: Examining the appraisal basis of trait curiosity. Cognition and Emotion, 22, 94–113.
Simpkins, S. D., Davis-Kean, P. E., & Eccles, J. S. (2006). Math and science motivation: A longitudinal examination of the links between choices and beliefs. Developmental Psychology, 42, 70-83.
Tormala, Z. L. (2016). The role of certainty (and uncertainty) in attitudes and persuasion. Current Opinion in Psychology, 10, 6-11.
Tormala, Z. L., & Rucker, D. D. (2007). Attitude certainty: A review of past findings and emerging perspectives. Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 1, 469-492.
Wijnia, L., Loyens, S. M. M., Derous, E., & Schmidt, H. G. (2014). Do students’ topic interest and tutors’ instructional style matter in problem-based learning? Journal of Educational Psychology, 106, 919-933.