Multiplicity Matters: The Development of Multiple Interests During Dynamic Institutional Transitions

Abstract

Recent findings from person-centered interest research call for an expansion of knowledge about interest development, particularly with regard to multiplicity of interest. The current study used a smartphone application to track the multiple interests of 309 Dutch emerging adults over a three-year period, which included a transition between educational institutions or into the labor market. Results from a growth mixture model (GMM) show four different trajectories of multiple interest development: Continued Exploration (n = 31), where youth continually explored different interests, Continued Diversity (n = 102) and Continued Selectivity (n = 106), where youth continually pursued a diverse or select set of interests, and Gradual Specialization (n = 70) where youth reported a decreasing number of interests over time. These findings suggest that interest development should be described not only as the deepening or decline of one interest, but also as the exploration, continuation and specialization of multiple interests.