1. Four Phases of Interest Development
3/24/2017
Four Phases of Interest Development
Steve Black
Associate University Librarian
Colgate University

2. Four Phases Triggered situational interest
Maintained situational interest
Emerging personal interest
Well-developed personal interest
K. Ann Renninger and Suzanne E. Hidi, The Power of Interest for Motivation and Engagement. New York: Routledge, 2016.

3. Triggered Situational Interest
Definition: Psychological state resulting from short-term changes in cognitive and affective processing associated with a topic.
Students in this phase are likely to:
Express that the topic or assignment is new and unfamiliar
Show evidence they are just beginning to work on the task
Display confusion or uncertainty about what is required

4. Triggered Situational Interest
Appropriate responses in reference and instruction for students in this phase:
Acknowledge that the task is challenging
Keep instructions as simple as possible
Limit the number of suggestions for how to proceed

5. Maintained Situational Interest
Definition: Psychological state that involves focused attention on a topic over time.
Students in this phase:
Show evidence of having done some work on the task
Express willingness to focus attention over a period of time

6. Maintained Situational Interest
Appropriate responses in reference and instruction for students in this phase:
Express appreciation for the work accomplished so far
Make concrete suggestions for making further progress
Encourage effort to explore one’s own ideas

7. Emerging Personal Interest
Definition: Psychological state and the beginning of a relatively enduring predisposition to seek reengagement with a topic over time.
Students in this phase:
Express personal interest in and enthusiasm for the topic
Display some background knowledge
Begin to have curiosity questions beyond what is required by assignment(s)
May diverge from course requirements

8. Emerging Personal Interest
Appropriate responses in reference and instruction for students in this phase:
Listen to and express respect for personal ideas and goals
Help student formulate and articulate personal learning goals
Minimize criticism of effort exerted so far

9. Well-developed Personal Interest
Definition: Psychological state and a relatively enduring predisposition to reengage with a topic over time.
Students in this phase:
Show evidence of having worked on the topic for an extended time
Persevere to answer curiosity questions
Display significant background knowledge on the topic

10. Well-developed Personal Interest
Appropriate responses in reference and instruction for students in this phase:
• Provide help geared to achieving a sophisticated level of information literacy
• Constructively critique research strategies
• Describe advanced search techniques

11. When’s a time your help matched the phase of interest development?
Your experience? Δ
When could’ve knowing the phase have improved your reference or instruction? +
When’s a time your help matched the phase of interest development?

12. Associate University Librarian
Thank You
Steve Black
Associate University Librarian
Colgate University
13 Oak Drive
Hamilton, NY 13346
This presentation is an extension of the first in an ongoing series on educational psychology for academic librarians:
Steve Black and James D. Allen (2017). Insights from Educational Psychology Part 1: Foster Intrinsic Motivation. Reference Librarian, 58(1), doi: /