ABSTRACT
This chapter reviews the extant literature on adult interest development and take the discussion one step further by framing it in the context of a transactional perspective on person-environment fit. It discusses two theoretical perspectives that may shed light on the issue of adult interest development. The chapter reviews the social cognitive model of interest development as a theoretical framework that offers one explanation for how individuals gradually gain interest in certain fields of activity. Vocational interests are typically defined in work, organizational, and career psychology as relatively stable individual differences that influence behavior through preferences for certain work activities and work environments. Most of the research findings concerning the development of vocational interests during adulthood come from early test developers interested in the relative stability of interest scores across time. Manipulation in transactional model refers to possible changes in work-related characteristics made by individuals over time.
