Intertwined Development of Adolescents’ Interest Pursuits

While interest theories have long focused on describing the development of a single interest, research increasingly recognizes the multiplicity of interests. Adolescents are likely to relate their multiple interest pursuits to each other, and the development of these interest pursuits may become intertwined. The current study explored this intertwined development of interest pursuits in daily life through repeated interviews with thirty Dutch adolescents (aged 14–25 years). Each adolescent was interviewed three times over 3 years. They were asked about the (changes in) interest pursuits that they previously reported through an Experience Sampling Method smartphone application, which they had filled in multiple times a day for a whole week, for a total of 9 weeks throughout the 3 years. Inductive analysis of the interviews revealed three processes of intertwined development: interest genesis, where one interest developed out of another, hybrid interest engagement, where interests co-occur or their engagement is mediated by similar skills or knowledge, and combined sensemaking, where two interests have a similar meaning or gain meaning in relation to each other. Interest theory typically speaks of interest development as a process of deepening of a single interest, and the current study illustrates how interest development can in addition reflect the broadening and connecting of multiple interests.