Studies that have explored interest

Studies that have explored interest across different contexts suggest parents to be the most important facilitators of experiencing and developing interest, as they provide their children with opportunities and resources needed to engage in particular interests (e.g., paying for piano lessons, buying clothes, going to a museum) . By co-constructing knowledge with their child about a specific topic through dialogue and activities, parents can help their children build the so-called islands of expertise already at a young age . In adolescence, parental involvement continues through the mental support of their children, for example, in supporting their interest in technology . Sibling relationships can also become more supportive with age, although this has not been researched in relation to interest . Friends or peers in or outside of school can positively or negatively influence interest in academic topics, achievement, and career selection (Bergin 2016). This might occur through socialization and selection processes; adolescents try to fit their interests to their friends’ interests and choose friends who have similar interests . In sum, the literature shows that family and peers in and out of school might all support interests in daily life, but whether and how interests are simultaneously displayed in these social contexts is particularly unexplored.