INTEREST, PRIOR KNOWLEDGE, AND LEARNING

This article discusses the importance of studying interest and reviews research on the association between interest and prior knowledge. It is concluded that there is a substantial linear relationship between i nterest and prior knowledge. Previous findings of minimal interest-kno wledge relationships were attributed to one, or more, of the following : (a) Knowledge and interest measures reflecting different content, (b ) questionable reliability or validity of the measures, (c) ideographi c assignment to high/low groups introducing error into group assignmen ts, (d) use of materials not suited to the sample, and (e) possible co nfounding of interest and knowledge measures. Research suggests that w orking on interesting, compared to neutral, materials may engage deepe r cognitive processing, arouse a wider, more emotional, and more perso nal associative network, and employ more imagery. A model of the inter est-knowledge relationship is updated, and suggestions for further res earch are made. Finally, the similarity between interest and curiosity is explored, and the advantages of research on these constructs are d iscussed.