Mag-uno man sab ako? These words can have a deep impact for
those whose interests are limited. There are even those who will feel annoyed
and become moody once boredom hits to the core. That is the reason why people
must be exposed to productive interests or hobbies when they are still young
or even older.
What is an interest? Zavi
(2019) said: An interest is a subjective attitude motivating a person to
perform a certain task. It affords pleasure and satisfaction. It results in
curiosity towards the object of interest, enthusiasm to be attached to the
object, strength of will to face difficulties while engaged in the task of
one’s interest, a definite change in behavior in the presence of the object characterized
by attention and concentration.
At an early age,
parents must expose the little kids to different experiences and activities so that
they will see the inclinations of the child. That is the time when they nurture
such interests to become part of the young person’s growth. This can be helpful
when the child grows. He/she will be absorbed into something which is
meaningful rather than feel bored and feel frustrated on certain situations.
The potential for
interest lies within the person, but the content and environment influence the
strength and direction of interest as well as its continued development (Hidi
and Renninger, 2006; Renninger and Hidi, 2011). The fact that interest is
influenced by both content and the context of the situation suggests that
interventions have the potential to both trigger interest and promote the
maintenance of interest.
Observe on how adults
behave during this time of quarantine. There are those who cannot bear the
thought of staying at home. You see, there are NO meaningful activities for
them inside. But there are those people who are getting by. A few are slumped
in a corner reading. There are some who are viewing documentaries. Some are
doing crafts and sewing. Baking and cooking became a haven for some. And most
interestingly are those who are LEARNING online or using other platforms to
acquire something which can be of use once the quarantine will end.
The aforementioned
activities are difficult to appreciate once the individual does not find
meaning in them.
Some researchers
believe that interest cannot be created: you are either interested in x or you
aren’t. This belief seems to be motivated by research showing that interests
are often stable over time; if you are (not) interested in something today, it
is unlikely that your interest level in the thing will be different next year. Other
researchers have suggested that interest actually can be created where they
didn’t exist before (Hidi, Renninger, 2006).
That is the point
when we can utilize the time of quarantine by developing our own interests and
guiding the young ones into finding theirs. Since interest can be developed, we
can start something new today!
The emergence of
enduring interests is an example of motivational development. Three broad kinds
of theories are identified. One group of theories proposes that interests come
from a source of intrinsic motivation, such as a curiosity instinct (William
McDougall) or feelings of curiosity and interest (Silvan Tomkins, Manfred
Prenzel). A second group of theories proposes that interests come from
extrinsic motivational sources. Examples include John Dewey's model of intrinsic
and extrinsic interest, and Gordon Allport's functional autonomy principle. A
third group of theories proposes that interests are offshoots of deeper motives
and needs, such as psychodynamic drives (Sigmund Freud), unfulfilled needs
(Anne Roe), or physiological drives (Clark Hull). The chapter considers some
abstract similarities and differences between these diverse theories.
These theoretical backbones
for interest allow us to understand the importance of doing productive things
during these times when we have lots of time. By doing so, we will be able to
be developmentally upright rather than be on the verge of depression and
anxiety.
Positive motivation
is seen when people engage in an activity that has a virtuous end, such as volunteering,
athletics, or art. Negative motivation is evident when individuals act in a
manner that is unethical or has a destructive end, such as judging others, physical
altercations or vandalism (Schinnerer, 2018).
That is the reason
why we need to monitor our actions and even thoughts at this time of quarantine.
Are we doing things with a negative outcome or are building strong foundations
of positive outputs?
If we are looking for
the best results in our idle times, we will focus more on positive, internal
motivation for ourselves as well as others.
We need to be
interested on our INTERESTS.
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