Interest

Quite often we hear pupils say ‘I am interested in literature’, I am interested in science’, ‘I am interested in photography’ and so on. Interests are the traits of personality of an individual which are significant for satisfaction and success in the educational and vocational fields. These traits are manifested as likes and dislikes, preferences and indifferences.

I.Q. tests are a standardized psychometric test to measure ‘Intelligence Quotient’ (IQ) which is a psychological indicator of one’s relative mental and cognitive abilities as per their age. It is a test which helps one to assess and set intellectual benchmarks.

Simply put, the IQ test put very simply is a measure of human intelligence. There are certain questions that need to be answered in a stipulated time to obtain the score that is then compared to the norms established for that age. The IQ of the person is very important to understand their general competence.

Interests give clues regarding adjustment and personality. The knowledge and understanding of a child’s interests are a major factor in educational and vocational guidance. Interest basically refers to the motivating force of an individual which impels him to attend a person, a thing, an object or an activity. Interest and attention are inseparable and interest is treated as latent attention and attention is considered as interest in action. Let us now study a few definitions of ‘interest’.

Types of Interest:

Super has suggested three types of interests—

1. Expressed Interest:

It refers to interest in an object, activity, subject of study or occupation as verbally expressed by an individual.

2. Manifested Interest:

This refers to the actual participation in an activity or occupation.

3. Tested Interest:

It refers to an individual’s interest as measured by interest inventories.

Measurement of Interests:

There are various methods of measuring interests, such as interviews, check lists, direct observations, questionnaires and inventories. Questionnaires and inventories are the most important methods of measuring interests.